b.  1^.33, 


LIBRARY  OF  THE  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 

PRINCETON,     N.     J. 
PRESENTED  BY 

PRINCETON  UNIVERSITY 


BV  4501  .S47  1877 
Servants  of  Christ 


Servants  of  Christ. 


A^' 


AK*'' 


OF 


JUL  J  4  1933 


BY  THE  AUTHOR  OF 

A  BASKET  OF  BARLEY  LOAVES,"  ETC..  ETC. 


'Our  glory  and  nobility  lies  in  this,  that  we  are  the  servants 
of  Christ." 


NEW     YORK: 

ROBERT    CARTER    AND    BROTHERS, 
530  Broadway. 

1877. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1877,  by 

ROBERT  CARTER  &  BROTHERS, 
In   the   Office   of  the   Librarian   of  Congress   at  Washington, 


CAMBRIDGE:  ST.    JOHNIAKD 

PRESS    OF  SaEREOTTPE    FOUNDKT. 

JOHN  WILSON    A    BON.  SUFFOLK  CO.,  N.  l. 


^ff«tionattl2    iS^OitaUIl 


NIECES     AND     NEPHEWS, 

For  Whom  I  Desire  no  higher  Honor  than 

that  They  may  be  Servants 

of  Christ. 


OOI^TEKTS. 


1.  Introduction 7 

2.  Apostolic   Christians 13 

3.  The  Master  We   Serve 26 

4.  Beasons  for  Serving 39 

5.  Excuses  and  Hindrances 59 

6.  How  SHALL  We  Serve? 74 

7.  Necessary  Training 100 

8.  Nature  of  Our  Work 113 

9.  Woman's  Work 130 

10.  Spirit  in  which  We  Serve  ....  144 

11.  Eeward  of  Work 156 


I. 

INTEODUCTION. 

^  H  E  Martyrs'  Monameut  in  the 
^^  Gre3'friars'  Church-yard  draws 
visitors  from  many  lands.  "However 
deep/'  says  Hugh  Miller,  "the  snow 
may  lie  in  Greyfriars'  Church-yard, 
there  is  one  path  where  the  snow  is 
alwaj's  beaten  down,  and  that  leads  to 
the  monument  of  the  Covenanters." 

The  path  into  which  our  subject 
leads  is  an  oft-trodden  path.  Along 
this  way  many  have  gone,  dropping 
brilliant  thoughts  and  weighty  argu- 
ments. We  can  not  hope  to  add  any 
thing  new  to  w^hat  has  already  been 


8  Servants  of  Christ. 

said,  for  we  are  "less  than  the  least" 
and  not  worthy  to  be  called  a  "ser- 
vant of  Christ."  Nevertheless  we  love 
the  service,  and  by  God's  help  hope 
to  remain  in  it,  until  the  word  of  tlie 
Master  turns  our  toils  into  triumphs. 

.  The  very  fact  that  this  path  has 
been  so  often  trodden  shows  its  im- 
portance. And  like  the  travellers  in 
the  Greyfriar's  Church-yard  we  may  be 
sure  there  is  something  worthy  of  our 
attention  at  the  end.  Yes,  something 
that  stirs  our  whole  soul,  for  there  is 
the  place 

"Where  Jesus  of  Nazareth  stands; 
The  King  of  all  kingdoms  forever  is  he, 
And  he  holdeth  our  crowns  in  his  hands." 

ISTot  long  ago  a  vailed  statue  stood 
before  a  newly-finished  Library  Hall 
connected  with  one  of  our  literary  in- 
stitutions.     The    statue,    wrought    in 


Introduction.  9 

bronze,  was  a  faithful  representation 
of  the  hberal  donor,  and  the  building 
was  the  beautiful  expression  of  his 
generosity. 

On  the  eve  of  the  dedication  of  the 
Hall  a  workman  cleaning  the  base  of 
the  statue,  had  the  curiosity  to  lift  an 
end  of  the  covering,  when  to  his  sur- 
prise he  beheld  the  bronze  image  cov- 
ered with  white  paint,  and  on  the 
back  a  reproachful  name  was  painted 
in  large  letters. 

The  news  quickly  spread ;  myste- 
rious whispers  were  exchanged,  and 
signs  of  secresy  were  given.  Some 
smiled,  some  sneered,  others  sighed 
to  think  the  donor's  memory  was  not 
more  deeply  revered. 

Night  fell,  and  busy  hands  worked 
silently  until  almost  every  trace  of  de- 
facement disappeared.  The  vail  was 
then  replaced,  and  watchers  were  sta- 


10  Servants  of  Christ. 

tioned  to  prevent  a  repetition  of  the 
injury. 

Morning  came,  and  friends  gathered 
from  far  and  near.  At  the  proper 
time  the  vail  was  hfted,  and  words 
of  eulogy  were  pronounced,  while  all 
eyes  rested  upon  the  likeness  of  the 
giver,  whose  living  form  had  disap- 
peared from  among  men. 

One  thought  found  frequent  expres- 
sion as  the  crowd  slowly  dispersed : 
''How  fortunate  that  the  discovery 
was  made  in  time ! " 

It  would  indeed  have  been  a  great 
mortification  to  have  unvailed  the  de- 
faced image  in  the  presence  of  the 
great  assembly.  Shouts  of  ridicule 
from  those  who  gloried  in  meanness 
might  have  taken  the  place  of  grate- 
ful eulogy.  But  now  the  perpetra- 
tors withdrew  in  silence  and  shame  ; 
overhearing  no   doubt   many  remarks 


Introduction.  11 

not  calculated  to  increase  their  self- 
respect. 

As  we  sat  down  to  write  our  simple 
essay  this  circumstance  was  suggested 
to  our  mind :  and  this  was  the  train 
of  thought  into  which  we  fell: 

The  time  is  drawing  near  when  all 
the  vails  of  earth  shall  be  removed. 
How  will  we  appear  in  that  day? 
The  vail  of  a  public  profession  now 
screens  many  whose  hearts  wear  no 
image  of  the  heavenly.  All  are  not 
Christ's  who  are  called  by  his  name  ; 
neither  are  all  his  who  call  upon  his 
name.  "Not  every  one  that  saith 
unto  me,  Lord,  Lord."  How  is  it 
with  us?  Are  we  his?  And  if  we 
are,  is  the  likeness  striking?  Or  does 
a  thick  coating  of  worldliness  and  sel- 
fishness mar  the  image  until  the  re- 
semblance is  almost,  if  not  quite  lost? 
'* Whose   is  the   image?"  wonderingly 


12  Servants  of  Christ. 

inquires  the  beholder,  as  some  pro- 
fessed disciple  comes  in  sight.  "The 
superscription  is  quite  legible,  but 
whose   is  the   image?" 

Dear  Lord,  let  not  this  be  said  of 
me.  Restore  the  image  of  thy  fair 
creation,  "Create  in  me  a  clean  heart, 
0  God ;  and  renew  a  right  spirit  with- 
in me."  If  the  image  is  defaced  let 
thy  workmen  silently  but  effectually 
work  through  the  night  of  earthly  toil 
and  suffering  until  "the  beauty  of  the 
Lord  our  God  be  upon  us."  Then 
when  we  stand  before  the  throne,  in 
the  presence  of  an  assembled  world, 
we  will  not  fear  to  have  the  disguises 
of  earth  torn  away,  for  we  shall  bear 
"the  image  of  the  heavenly." 


II. 

APOSTOLIC    CHEISTIANS. 

^^HE  original  copy  of  the  Declara- 
^^  tion  of  Independence,  which  has 
been  in  the  Patent  Office  at  Washing- 
ton for  years,  has  so  faded  that  the 
signatures  are  scarcely  visible;  and  a 
skilled  penman  has  been  requested  to 
go  over  the  document,  with  the  aid 
of  a  strong  microscope,  and  retrace  all 
the  signatures,  making  them  distinct 
and  legible. 

The  author  of  "Urbane  and  His 
Friends"  has  brought  before  us  a 
group  of  earnest  disciples,  desiring 
greater  conformity  to  their  living  Lord. 
They  meet  weekly  in  the  study  of  their 


14  Servants  of  Christ. 

pastor  ;  and  converse  freely  upon  the 
subject  nearest  their  hearts.  Their 
pastor,  longing  to  have  them  reach 
the  measure  of  the  stature  of  the 
fulness  of  Christ,  assures  them  that 
"Christ  can  infuse  life  into  dry  bones, 
and  warmth  into  stones : "  and  while 
he  is  willing  and  glad  to  give  them 
the  results  of  his  rich  experience,  tells 
them;  "I  would  fain  have  you  learn 
from  the  direct  teachings  of  the  Spirit 
far  more  than  I  know." 

Saddened  to  find  that  the  linea- 
ments of  their  Lord  are  scarcely  vis- 
ible in  them,  they  are  not  entirely 
disheartened  ;  but  address  themselves 
directly  to  study  the  characteristics  of 
the  apostolic  Christians,  who  confess- 
edly are  the  brightest  reflections  of 
"The  Lord  our  Righteousness." 

"Oh,  do  you  expect  to  find  apos- 
tolic  piety    anywhere    at   the    present 


Apostolic  Christians.  15 

day?"  "Why  not?"  replies  the  pas- 
tor; "Christ  belongs  to  our  own  day 
as  well  as  to  the  past ;  and  where  he 
is,  there  you  will  find  his  disciples." 
•*We  have  the  same  opportunities  they 
had  to  grow  up  into  Christ  Jesus." 
"As  to  spiritual  gifts  I  believe  we  get 
exactly  what  we  want." 

With  these  and  similar  words  the 
leader  encourages  his  little  flock.  Let 
us  now  sit  down  with  them  at  the  feet 
of  those  early  Christians  who  followed 
their  Lord  so  closely. 

The  apostolic  Christians  were  hum- 
ble. "Stand  up:  I  myself  also  am 
a  man."  Refusing  strange  honors  at 
Lystra ;  saying  so  earnestly;  "Sirs, 
why  do  ye  these  things?  We  also 
are  men  of  like  passions  with  you." 

By  "sailing  with  a  low  sail"  they 
avoided  many  "perils  in  the  sea." 
They    were    steadfast  ;    continuing 


16  Servants  of  Christ. 

"steadfastly  in  the  apostles'  doctrine 
and  fellowship,  and  in  breaking  of 
bread,  and  in  prayers."  By  steadfast- 
ness they  gained  a  great  advantage 
every  way  over  those  "unstable  souls" 
who  wrest  the  scriptures  "unto  their 
own  destruction."  By  fellowship  they 
acknowledged  the  principle:  "Union 
is  strength." 

Prayer  and  praise  were  their  de- 
light: and  whether  breaking  bread  at 
the  Lord's  table,  or  eating  their  ordi- 
nary meals  at  home,  they  had  "glad- 
ness and  singleness  of  heart,"  because 
Christ  was  "the  hidden  man  of  the 
heart,"  and  their  joy  no  man  could 
take  from  them.  Whether  therefore 
they  ate  or  drank,  they  did  all  to  the 
glory  of  God  :  and  they  were  already 
drinking  from  that  fountain  of  joy  that 
springs  from  the  presence  of  Christ, 
and  faileth  never, — because  the  "liv 


Apostolic  Christians.  17 

ing  waters"  that  "go  out  from  Jerusa- 
lem" flow  "in  summer  and  in  winter" 
and  in  the  "drought  and  heat"  that 
"  consume  the  snow-waters  "  of  earth : 
so  that  one  having  these  need  "not 
be  careful  in  the  year  of  drought," 
remembering  that  "every  thing  shall 
live  whither  the  river  cometh."  These 
are  the  same  waters  of  which  the 
prophet  speaks  so  joyfully:  "The  wil- 
derness and  the  solitary  place  shall  be 
glad  for  them ;  and  the  desert  shall  re- 
joice, and  blossom  as  the  rose." 

"Having  favor  with  all  the  people" 
looks  at  first  sight  rather  startling,  for 
we  remember  the  Master  said:  "Be- 
cause ye  are  not  of  the  world,  but  I 
have  chosen  you  out  of  the  world, 
therefore  the  world  hateth  you."  But 
the  offence  of  the  cross  had  not  yet 
commenced,  for  though  the  Lord  had 
been  crucified  his  doctrine  had  not  yet 

2 


18  Servants  of  Christ. 

met  with  regularly  organized  opposi- 
tion. And  simple,  pure,  upright  Chris- 
tian lives  often  excite  the  admiration 
of  those  who  fail  to  understand  or  be- 
lieve in  the  source  whence  flow  these 
beautiful  streams. 

They  were  contented.  ''  For  I  have 
learned,  in  whatsoever  state  I  am,  there- 
with to  be  content : "  showing  most 
beautifully  to  the  world  what  a  satis- 
fying portion  Christ  is  to  his  people. 

They  were  full  of  love.  "As  touch- 
ing brotherly  love,"  writes  Paul,  "ye 
need  not  that  I  write  unto  you ;  for 
ye  yourselves  are  taught  of  God  to 
love  one  another."  And  this  love  that 
wrought  outwardly  much  good,  con- 
tained a  blessing  in  its  bosom  for 
the  happy  possessor,  because  it  was  a 
pledge  of  life  and  a  constant  token 
that  all  was  well  within  the  soul : 
"We  know  that  we  have  passed  from 


Apostolic  Christians.  19 

death  unto  life,  because  we  love  the 
brethren." 

They  were  loyal  to  theh^  Lord.  Not 
only  in  the  temple  but  also  ' '  in  every 
house,  they  ceased  not  to  teach  and 
preach  Jesus  Christ."  Out  of  the  abun- 
dance of  their  hearts'  love  their  mouths 
spoke  of  Him,  whose  they  were,  and 
whom  they  served :  for  they  served 
"the  Lord  Christ." 

They  were  forgiving.  Remember- 
ing always  the  prayer  of  The  Cru- 
cified they  too  learned  to  say  from 
the  heart:  "Father,  forgive  them:" 
"Lord,  lay  not  this  sin  to  their  charge ; " 
thus  turning  the  hour  of  persecution 
and  peril  into  the  hour  of  power  and 
triumph  ;  blotting  out  their  own  in- 
nate propensity:  "an  eye  for  an  eye, 
and  a  tooth  for  a  tooth,"  they  tri- 
vnnphed  openly  over  depraved  human 
nature,   nailing   it   to    the   cross ;    and 


20  Servants  of  Christ. 

one  at  least  "as  a  prince"  had  "power 
with  God,  and  with  men,"  and  pre- 
vailed ;  for  it  is  hardly  too  much  to 
say  with  Augustine;  "the  Church  owes 
Paul  to  the  prayer  of  Stephen." 

They  did  not  please  themselves.  Or 
to  speak  more  correctly,  they  learned 
to  find  all  their  joy  in  pleasing  Christ. 
Before  they  passed  from  their  service 
to  their  reward  they  had  this  testi- 
mony that  they  pleased  their  Master, 
because  they  obeyed  in  all  things,  "not 
with  eye-service,"  "but  in  singleness 
of  heart."  And  when  from  earth  they 
passed  into  the  skies  we  can  easily  im- 
agine the  welcome  of  the  Master,  as 
he  took  each  one  into  his  joy. 

They  believed  in  the  power  of 
prayer.  Though  once  the  praying 
church  was  greatly  astonished  at  the 
sight  of  released  Peter  standing  on 
the  threshold,  and  even  Rhoda  could 


Apostolic  Christians.  21 

hardly  credit  lier  ears  "when  she  knew 
Peter's  voice,"  yet  the  apostohc  Chris- 
tians wielded  most  wonderfully  the 
weapon  of  "all-prayer,"  as  the  rec- 
ords of  the  early  church  clearly  show. 
In  answer  to  thek  prayers  many  pris- 
oners' chains  were  loosed,  and  many 
gates  opened.  And  though  Herod 
might  stretch  forth  his  hands  and  vex 
many,  nevertheless  "the  word  of  God 
grew  and  multiplied." 

They  were  full  of  faith,  and  by  its 
power  performed  "great  wonders  and 
miracles  among  the  people." 

They  were  always  progressing;  giv- 
ing "all  diligence,  adding  to  their 
faith,  virtue  ;  and  to  virtue,  knowl- 
edge ;  and  to  knowledge,  temperance ; 
and  to  temperance,  patience  ;  arid  to 
patience,  godliness  ;  and  to  godliness, 
brotherly-kindness ;  and  to  brotherly- 
kindness,  charity." 


22  Servants  of  Christ. 

What  think  you  of  these  ''cedar- 
trees  from  Lebanon  ? "  They  were 
''planted  in  a  good  soil  by  great  wa- 
ters," and  being  planted,  prospered  ; 
and  neither  great  power  nor  many 
people  could  pluck  them  up  by  the 
roots. 

Here  stands  one,  grandest  of  all, 
though  "his  bodily  presence"  was 
"weak,  and  his  speech  contemptible." 
Fruitful  in  good  works,  with  branches 
of  tender  sjmipathy  embracing  the 
whole  world,  was  there  ever  such  a 
beautiful  tree  as  this  in  "the  garden 
enclosed?"  "In  labors  more  abun- 
dant, in  stripes  above  measure,  in  pris- 
ons more  frequent,  in  deaths  oft ; " 
beaten  with  rods;  stoned;  "in  perils 
of  waters,  in  perils  of  robbers  ;  in  per- 
ils by  mine  own  countrymen,  in  perils 
by  the  heathen,  in  perils  in  the  city, 
in  perils  in  the  wilderness,   in   perils 


Apostolic  Christians.  23 

in  the  sea.  in  perils  among  false  breth- 
ren ;  in  weariness  and  painfulness,  in 
watchings  often,  in  hunger  and  thirst, 
in  fastings  often,  in  cold  and  naked- 
ness : ''  determined  to  know  nothing 
"save  Jesus  Christ,  and  him  cruci- 
fied:" "ready,  not  to  be  bound  only, 
but  also  to  die  at  Jerusalem  for  the 
name  of  the  Lord  Jesus."  Paul  proved 
himself  a  "servant  of  Christ;"  and 
could  say  in  all  sincerity:  "for  me  to 
live  is  Christ." 

But  why  discourage  us  by  holding 
up  such  a  peerless  pattern? 

Did  it  ever  occur  to  you  that  you 
have  the  same  reason  for  loving  your 
Lord  that  Paul  had  ?  Concerning 
Christ  this  servant  said:  "Who  loved 
me,  and  gave  himself  for  me."  Can 
you  say  less?  Concerning  his  own  life 
he  said:  "For  me  to  live  is  Christ." 
Ought  you  to  say  less?     Had  Paul  any 


24  Servants  of  Christ. 

weightier  reasons  for  self-consecration 
than  you  have,  or  ought  to  have?  Is 
that  noble  life  never  to  be  repeated? 
Thank  God !  it  is  repeated !  His  de- 
votion to  his  Lord  has  borne  fruit  in 
many  lives. 

In  his  autobiography  Dr.  Guthrie 
tells  how  he  endeavored  to  trace  a 
relationship  with  the  Guthries  of  mar- 
tyr memory.  He  failed  in  this,  but 
always  believed  the  effort  did  him 
good  ;  for  something  of  their  spirit  fell 
upon  him,  shedding  its  influence  over 
his  whole  life,  determining  him  to  suf- 
fer, if  need  be,  for  the  rights  of  Christ's 
crown  and  the  liberties  of  his  Church. 
Certainly  something  of  this  spirit  rest- 
ed on  Dr.  Guthrie  when,  in  the  Dis- 
ruption of  1843,  he  took  so  decided  a 
stand.  It  was  something  of  which  to 
be  proud  to  be  able  to  point  to  the 
Martyr's  Monument  in  the  Greyfriars' 


Apostolic  Christians.  25 

Church-yard  in  Eclmburgh,  and,  read- 
mg  that  quaint  inscription,  "Famous 
Guthrie's  head,"  tell  the  stranger,  "He 
was  my  ancestor."  But  better  still  is 
it  to  reproduce  the  spirit  of  the  martyr 
in  a  less  conspicuous,  but  perhaps  not 
less  useful  life. 

And  though  we  may  fail  to  trace 
any  resemblance  between  ourselves  and 
the  great  apostle,  and  may  almost  be 
ready  to  conclude  that  we  hardly  be- 
long to  the  same  family,  yet  uncon- 
sciously in  our  great  admiration  we 
may  be  led  into  humble  imitation,  and 
thus  reproduce  his  qualities  in  our 
more  obscure  lives.  When  one  of 
Urbane's  friends  exclaimed;  "I  shall 
never  be  a  Saint  Paul ! "  Urbane  re- 
plied ;  "  Of  course  not.  You  are  not 
called  to  be  another  man,  but  to  make 
the  best  of  the  man  God  has  commit- 
ted to  your  charge.'' 


III. 


THE    MASTER    WE    SERVE. 

fET  me  speak  of  my  Master/'  said 
Dr.  Guthrie.  "I  have  served 
him  for  more  than  thirty  years  :  my 
head  has  become  gray  in  his  ser- 
vice ;  but  I  can  say,  even  when  I  saw 
how  much  richer  I  might  have  become 
in  other  professions,  and  when  I  felt 
the  greatest  hardships  of  my  own,  I 
never  regretted  my  choice.  I  have 
been  a  poor  servant ;  I  have  a  thou- 
sand infirmities  on  my  head,  and  sins 
on  my  conscience,  for  which  I  look 
for  pardon  only  through  the  blood  of 
Christ ;   but   poor   servant   as   I  have 


The   Master   We   serve.       27 

been,  I  can  stand  up  this  night  for 
my  Master,  and  say  Christ  has  been 
a  good  and  blessed  and  gracious  Mas- 
ter to  me.'"' 

**A  master  gives  his  servant  work 
to  do,"  writes  another,  "but  he  can 
not  give  him  strength  to  work  :  but 
God  as  he  cuts  us  out  work,  so  he 
gives  us  strength.  "  My  strength  shall 
be  made  perfect  in  weakness.'' 

**  Give  thy  strength  unto  thy  ser- 
vant," 0  Christ  my  Lord,  "whose  I 
am,  and  whom  I  serve." 

The  question  has  frequently  been 
asked;  "Why  does  Christianity  exert 
so  little  practical  influence  even  in 
countries  nominally  Christian  ?  " 

For  the  sake  of  bringing  the  matter 
home  to  each  heart  we  ask  a  closer 
question:  "Why  do  we  exert  so  lit- 
tle Christian  influence  ?  "  And  we  an- 
swer, because  we  do  not  realize   the 


28  Servants   of   Christ. 

power  we  possess,  or  may  possess,  if 
we  live  in  Christ.  "Christ  liveth  in 
me,"  writes  Paul  the  apostle,  "and  the 
life  which  I  now  live  in  the  flesh,  I 
live  by  the  faith  of  the  Son  of  God." 
Or  as  Luther  renders  it:  "The  very 
life  that  I  live  is  Christ  himself ;  and 
therefore  Christ  and  I,  in  this  matter, 
are  altogether  one  thing." 

The  word  "Christian"  in  the  Ger- 
man language  has  a  significance  scarce- 
ly thought  of  by  us.  The  word  used 
is  simply  "  Christ."  What  an  idea  that 
gives  us  of  the  oneness  of  the  servant 
with  his  master.  And  does  it  not 
suggest  another  thought?  Are  we 
walking  on  the  earth  as  he  walked  ? 
"With  the  Lord  living  in  his  people 
there  ought  to  be  as  many  Christ's 
walking  upon  the  earth  as  there  are 
redeemed  ones,"  said  Dr.  Arnot. 

"Christian!     No    man   would    ever 


The  Master  We  Serve.        29 

have  asked  a  more  significant  name, 
if  the  church  had  remained  true  to  its 
head." 

"With  the  early  Christians  the  cross 
was  to  own  themselves  the  disciples 
of  Christ:  it  was  this  step  that  cost. 
The  cross  with  us  is  not  there :  it  is 
easy  for  us  to  own  his  name  ;  the  dif- 
ficulty lies  hi  so  following  him  that 
our  lives  shall  not  be  a  continual  re- 
proof."* 

When  Christ  "took  upon  him  the 
form  of  a  servant,"  he  exalted  the 
word  and  the  office  for  evermore. 
That  was  a  strange  scene  in  "the 
large  upper  room,'"  when  the  Master 
rose  from  the  table,  "laid  aside  his 
garments  ;  and  took  a  towel  and  gird- 
ed himself."  We  can  easily  imagine 
the   wondering    looks    and   whispered 

*  Dr.  Amot. 


30  Servants  of  Christ. 

words  of  the  twelve.  And  when  he 
silently  "poured  water  mto  a  basin, 
and  began  to  wash  the  disciples'  feet, 
and  to  wipe  them  with  the  towel 
wherewith  he  was  girded,"  no  wonder 
if  they  all  shrank  back,  hesitating  to 
allow  their  Lord  to  perform  this  me- 
nial service  for  them :  no  marvel  Peter 
cried:  ''Thou  shalt  never  wash  my 
feet." 

This  act  was  typical  of  the  life-ser- 
vice of  Christ.  "I  am  among  you  as 
he  that  serveth." 

Let  us  keep  our  eyes  fixed  upon  our 
Great  Example ;  for,  to  quote  the  lan- 
guage of  another  ;  *  "we  are  not  so 
good  nor  so  useful  as  we  might  be 
because  we  do  not  set  the  Lord  always 
before  us.  We  are  lean  and  ill-fa- 
vored, and  our  work  lingers,  because 

*  Kev.  A.  Dickson. 


The  Master  We  Serve.        31 

men  become  our  models.  We  are  con- 
tent if  we  may  be  as  heavenly-mind- 
ed as  some  of  those  ancient  worthies 
"who  through  faith  and  patience  in- 
herit the  promises."  But  the  best  of 
men  are  not  good  enough  to  set  us  an. 
example ;  and  we  have  a  higher  call- 
ing than  to  be  like  Job  or  Jeremiah 
or  James  or  John :  we  are  called  to 
be  like  Jesus.  Even  Paul,  with  all 
his  attainments  in  holiness,  would  not 
have  us  follow  him  except  so  far  as  he 
followed  the  perfect,  peerless  pattern ; 
"Be  ye  followers  of  me,  even  as  I  also 
am  of  Christ." 

"Wouldst  thou  bring  a  world  unto 
God?  Then  live  near  to  him  thyself. 
If  divine  life  pervade  thine  own  soul, 
every  thing  that  touches  thee  will  re- 
ceive the  electric  spark,  though  thou 
mayst  be  unconscious  of  being  charged 
therewith.     This  surely  would  be  the 


32  Servants  of  Christ. 

highest,  to  strive  to  keep  near  the 
holy,  not  for  the  sake  of  our  own 
reward  here  or  hereafter,  but  that 
through  love  to  God  we  might  bless 
our  neighbor.''  * 

"The  true  missionary  spirit,"  wrote 
Pres.  Finney,  "is  true  sympathy  with 
the  spirit  of  Christ." 

"  In  nature,  the  shallowest  lake,  pro- 
vided it  be  full,  sends  up  as  many 
clouds  to  heaven  as  the  deepest,  for 
the  same  sunlight  beams  equally  on 
both  their  bosoms.  This  law  may  of- 
ten be  seen  at  work  in  the  spiritual 
kingdom.  '  Glory  to  God  in  the  high- 
est '  rises  in  a  stream  as  strong  and 
pure  from  a  sinner  saved  who  lays 
out  one  talent  in  a  lowly  sphere,  as 
from  a  sinner  saved  who  wields  ten 
talents   in   the    sight   of   an   applaud- 

*Mrs.  Child. 


The  Master  We  Serve.        33 

ing  world.  Nay,  more :  as  a  lake 
within  the  tropics,  though  shallow, 
gives  more  incense  to  the  sky  than  a 
polar  ocean  of  unfathomable  depth, 
so  a  Christian  of  few  gifts,  whose 
heart  lies  open  fair  and  loug  to  the 
Sun  of  Righteousness,  is  a  more  ef- 
fectual witness  than  a  man  of  greater 
capacity  who  lies  not  so  near,  and 
looks  not  so  constantly  to  Jesus."  * 
Some  happy  souls  having  learned  what 
Jesus  is  able  to  do  for  his  workers,  are 
putting  forth  such  herculanean  efforts 
that  beholders  wonderingly  exclaim : 
"Tell  us,  we  pray  thee,  wherein  thy 
great  strength  lieth?"  But  they  un- 
derstand not  the  answer  when  it  is 
given:  because  it  is  "spiritually  dis- 
cerned." and  "the  natural  man  receiv- 
eth  not  the  things  of  the  Spirit." 

*  Dr.  Amot. 


34  Servants  of  Christ. 

"I  saw  plainly,"  says  Henry  Yarley, 
"that  such  an  experience,  the  realized 
power  of  an  indwelling  Christ,  must 
be  (to  use  a  mechanical  figure)  like 
exchanging  hand-power  for  steam." 

"Every  thing  depends  upon  the 
power,"  he  adds.  "I  went  to  Liver- 
pool the  other  day  in  five  hours,  with 
three  stoppages  only.  Of  course  I  had 
no  desire  to  say  to  the  friend  who  met 
me  in  Lime  Street,  'What  ability  I 
have!  I  have  come  from  London  in 
so  little  time.'  I  put  it  all  down  to 
the  energy  of  the  engine  at  the  front 
of  the  train." 

Our  "help  Cometh  from  the  Lord, 
which  made  heaven  and  earth."  "We 
are  not  straightened  in  Him." 

"I  am  the  light  of  the  world"  was 
uttered  long  ago  ;  and  Christ's  disci- 
ples thought  they  understood  all  it 
meant.     Scientific  men  have  long  told 


The   Master   We  Serve.       35 

us  that  light  in  itself  has  no  mechan- 
ical force.  But  the  delicate  experi- 
ments of  Mr.  Crookes  seems  to  over- 
throw this  long- accepted  theory.  He 
has  contrived  an  ingenious  apparatus 
which  shows  the  power  of  luminous 
rays  to  drive  around  a  little  vane,  af- 
ter sifting  out  the  heat  by  means  of  an 
alum  screen. 

Thus  light  is  not  only  the  illumina- 
tion of  all  life,  but  also  a  living  force. 

Some  Christians  are  learning  the 
power  of  those  luminous  rays  that 
come  directly  from  the  Sun  of  Right- 
eousness. Rising  above  the  earth- 
clouds  into  the  highlands  of  conse- 
crated living  where  Jesus  shines  more 
directly  upon  the  receptive  soul,  they 
find  this  divine  light  a  motive  force. 

And  as  recent  discoveries  have  re- 
vealed the  fact  that  we  are  4,000,000 
or  5,000,000  miles  nearer  the  sun  than 


3G  Servants   of   Christ. 

we  thought ;  so  these  upland-dwelUng 
souls  find  themselves  nearer  then'  Sun 
than  they  ever  before  dreamed.  And 
the  great  beauty  of  this  is  they  be- 
come so  luminous  through  borrowed 
light,  that  others  are  attracted.  Dwell- 
ers in  the  lowlands  are  amazed  when 
they  read  words  like  the  following : 
and  some  are  constrained  to  follow  the 
leaders  up  into  the  blessed  sunshine. 

"In  this  present  evil  world  there  are 
regions  of  bliss  that  may  be  reached 
by  every  Christian.  There  are  lands 
of  Beulah  where  the  air  is  very  sweet 
and  pleasant,  and  the  sun  is  always 
shining,  and  the  birds  are  ever  sing- 
ing. There  are  high  mountains  apart 
where,  dwelling  with  Jesus,  we  are 
already  in  heaven." 

"My  dear  Jesus  is  the  delight  of 
my  life,  and  the  life  of  my  delights. 
His  smiling  face  is  the  sunshine  of  my 


The  Master  We  Serve.        37 

heart,  and  His  near  presence  makes 
me  happy  all  the  day  long  and  all  the 
year  round :  and,  when  waking  in  the 
watches  of  the  night,  'My  meditation 
of  him  shall  be  sweet. ^ " 

"Jesus,  thy  name  to  me  is  balm, 
and  better  every  way  than  the  balm 
of  Gilead,  because  it  heals  the  hurt  in 
the  heart,  soothes  the  wounded  spirit, 
and  calms  the  troubled  mind.  It  is 
life  and  light  and  love  and  peace  and 
'joy  unspeakable  and  full  of  glory.' 
It  is  more  refreshing  than  the  wells 
of  Elim  and  the  dew  of  Hermon,  and 
pleasanter  and  far  more  cheering  than 
'  the  wine  of  Lebanon,  that  goeth  down 
sweetly,  causing  the  lips  of  those  that 
are  asleep  to  speak.'  It  is  '  an  ala- 
baster box  of  very  precious  ointment ' 
that  never  can  be  broken  and  poured 
out  till  nothing  remains.  It  is  an  an- 
them which  never  can  be  rendered  in 


38  Servants  of   Christ. 

all  its  melodiousness  by  the  'hundred 
and  forty  and  four  thousand/  with 
their  harps  of  gold,  assisted  by  the 
choir  of  angels.  It  is  a  hive  of  honey 
higher  than  heaven,  deeper  than  hell, 
'  the  measure  thereof  is  longer  than 
the  earth,  and  broader  than  the  sea,' 
and  its  boundless  stores  of  sweetness 
never  can  be  exhausted."  * 

"  Christ  is  every  thing  he  is  de- 
scribed to  be  by  His  most  ardent 
lovers,"  writes  St.  Augustine;  " }' ea, 
far  more,  for  are  we  not  told  that  joy 
in  Him  is  unspeakable  ?  " 

*  "All  about  Jesus."    By  Rev.  A.  Dickson. 


lY. 

EEASONS   FOE    SEEYING. 

RECENTLY  a  Hindoo  convert 
or  passed  from  earth  to  heaven  af- 
ter fifteen  years  of  service.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  lowest  division  of  the 
lowest  caste  in  India.  In  his  family 
and  village  he  stood  alone  for  Christ, 
quietly  enduring  much  persecution, 
preaching  Christ  everywhere  on  all 
his  business  journeys,  and  as  the  rec- 
ord tells  us,  well-deserved  his  name, 
Yesuthasan,  which  signifies;  ''servant 
of  Christ." 

Philologists  differ  regarding  the  der- 
ivation of  the  word  ''liege,"  one  tell- 


40  Servants  of  Christ. 

ing  us  it  comes  from  "ligare,"  to  bind : 
another  tracing  its  origin  to  "ledig," 
free. 

The  word  "servant,"  while  its  der- 
ivation remains  undisputed,  may  be 
looked  at  from  such  different  stand- 
points  that  it  seems  like  two  words  of 
diverse  meaning :  for  to  some  it  speaks 
of  degrading  servitude  ;  to  others  of 
glorious  liberty.  How  does  it  appear 
to  you?  Do  you  count  it  joy  and 
honor  to  say:  "0  Lord,  truly  I  am 
thy  servant?" 

And  what  think  3^ou  of  Christian 
service?  Do  you  ask:  "Why  should 
we  serve? 

The  lives  of  some  Christians  answer ; 
"Because  we  can  not  help  it."  So 
natural  and  easy  seems  their  service. 
"Why  do  rivers  flow  down  the  moun- 
tain sides  upon  the  parched  plains  ? 
They  must  flow  down  by  the  law  of 


Reasons  for  Serving.  41 

their  being.'^  "  When  a  polished  gem 
receives  a  sunbeam  on  its  surface,  it  is 
under  a  natural  necessity  of  spreading 
out  its  light  in  all  directions.  And  so 
a  human  soul  that  receives  the  light 
of  life  from  the  face  of  Jesus  is  under 
law  to  let  that  light  shine  before 
men.  'Freely  ye  have  received,  free- 
ly give.'*  "I  have  set  thee  to  be  a 
hght." 

We  have  also  the  command  of 
Christ,  whose  design  we  believe  is 
that  we  begin  to  work  as  soon  as  we 
begin  to  worship :  accepting  the  priva- 
tions as  early  as  the  privileges.  We 
use  the  word  ''privations"  out  of  re- 
gard to  young  Christians,  whose  first 
acts  of  service  often  involve  much  self- 
denial.  As  they  advance  in  the  ser- 
vice they  will  find  the  privileges  far 

*  Dr.  Arnot. 


42  Servants  of  Christ. 

outweigh  the  privatk)ns  ;  ' '  but  the  first 
step  costs." 

'No  matter  what  it  costs,  the  com- 
mand to  work  is  very  plain.  You 
heard  the  voice  of  Jesus  say:  "Come 
unto  me."  You  came.  That  same 
voice  says :  "Go  work  to-day  in  my 
vineyard."  Will  you  go?  "Arise,  he 
calleth  thee." 

Under  the  "Articles  of  War,"  we 
find  that  the  punishment  for  disobedi- 
ence of  orders  in  the  jtresence  of  the 
enemy  is  death. 

The  order  comes  to  all;  though  all 
are  not  called  to  the  same  work. 
"The  simple  fact  that  a  Christian  is 
on  earth  and  not  in  heaven,  is  proof 
that  there  is  something  for  him  to  do ; 
and  if  he  is  not  doing  it,  the  neglect 
shows  either  that  he  is  not  yet  a  Chris- 
tian indeed,  or  that  he  is  a  Christian 
who  grieves  Christ.     A  broken   limb 


Reasons  for  Serving.  43 

hurts  him  who  owns  it  more  than  if 
it  were  completely  severed  from  his 
body.  Thus  the  Lord  is  hurt  by  those 
who,  being  his  members,  do  not  wit- 
ness for  him."  * 

St.  Bernard  was  in  the  habit  of  con- 
stantly asking  himself:  "Bernard,  for 
what  purpose  art  thou  here  ? '' 

"You  have  a  post,  a  watch  to  keep — 
Betray  it  not — he  dares  not  sleep 
Who  trims  the  lonely  light-house  lamp, 
Or  guards  the  fortress  or  the  camp 
From  footsteps  of  the  foe." 

Christ  has  a  right  to  our  service. 

"Just  as  Jesus,  with  all  that  he  has 
belongs  to  us,  so  we  ourselves,  and  all 
that  we  have,  belong  to  him.  We 
are  not  our  own  in  any  sense.  We 
belong  to  Christ  by  reason  of  our  two 
creations.    We  were  born  for  him,  and 

*  Dr.  Amot. 


44  Servants  of  Christ. 

we  were  born  again  for  him.  Besides, 
we  were  bought  by  him.  The  kind 
kinsman  -  redeemer  first  '  purchased  ^ 
Ruth,  the  stranger,  herself,  then  he 
claimed  the  field  and  the  inheritance. 
So  Christ  claims  all  our  possessions : 
and  if  only  we  could  love  him  as  he 
loves  us,  his  claims  would  never  be 
disputed  ;  but  all  our  title-papers  would 
be  laid  a  free-will  offering  on  his  al- 
tar, and  with  our  money  he  might  be 
pleased  to  make  wings  for  his  angels, 
'  having  the  everlasting  Gospel  to 
preach '  to  all  nations."  * 

When  Benhadad  sent  messengers  to 
Ahab,  saying:  "Thy  silver  and  thy 
gold  is  mine ;  thy  wives  also  and  thy 
children,  even  the  goodliest,  are  mine  :  '^ 
the  abject  answer  to  this  insulting  mes- 
sage  was:   "My  lord,   0  king,  accor- 

"All  about  Jesus,"  Rev.  A.  Dickson. 


Reasons  for  Serving.  45 

ding  to  thy  saying,  I  am  thine,  and  all 
that  I  have." 

Under  the  circumstances  the  answer 
was  servile  in  the  extreme.  But  when 
our  King  Emmanuel  says:  "I  have 
redeemed  thee,  thou  art  mine,"  the 
case  is  very  different ;  and  it  becomes 
our  highest  honor  to  render  "unto 
God  the  things  that  are  God's."  *'  Let 
the  redeemed  of  the  Lord  say:"  "We 
are  thine,  and  all  that  we  have  is 
thine.'' 

When  Cyrus  took  the  king  of  Ar- 
menia and  his  son  Tigranes,  with  their 
waives  and  children,  prisoners,  and  upon 
their  humble  submission  gave  them 
their  liberty  and  their  lives,  in  their 
return  home,  as  they  were  all  com- 
mending Cyrus,  Tigranes  asked  his 
wife,  "What  thinkest  thou  of  Cyrus? 
Is  he  not  a  comely  and  a  proper  man, 
of   a   majestic   presence?"     "Truly," 


46  Servants  of  Christ. 

she  said,  "  I  know  not  what  manner  of 
man  he  is  :  I  never  looked  upon  him." 
"Why,"  said  he,  "where  were  thine 
eyes  all  the  while  ?  Upon  whom  didst 
thou  look?"  "I  fixed  mine  eves" 
she  said,  "all  the  while  upon  him," 
meaning  her  husband,  "  who,  in  mine 
hearing,  offered  to  Cyrus  to  lay  down 
his  life  for  my  ransom." 

It  was  an  ancient  custom  among  the 
Highlanders  in  Scotland  when  one  clan 
wished  to  call  all  the  others  to  avenge 
its  wrongs,  to  take  a  wooden  cross,  dip 
it  in  blood,  and  send  it  by  a  special 
messenger  through  all  the  clans.  This 
was  called  the  fire-cross,  because  at 
sight  of  it,  each  clan  lighted  a  fire  or 
beacon,  which  gave  notice  to  all  the 
adjoining  clans  that  a  general  rising 
was  immediately  to  take  place. 

Beloved  in  Christ,  behold  the  cross 
on  Calvary. 


Reasons  for  Serving.  47 

"Did  our  youth,  some  years  ago, 
leave  titles,  estates,  luxurious  man- 
sions, kind  fathers,  mothers,  sisters, 
brothers,  and  blooming  brides,  to 
throw  themselves  on  the  shores  of 
the  Black  Sea,  and  face  frost  and 
famine,  pestilence  and  the  iron  shower 
of  death,  before  the  walls  of  Sebas- 
topol?  And  shall  piety  blush  before 
patriotism?  Shall  Jesus  call  in  vain 
for  less  costly  sacrifices?''* 

The  necessities  of  those  around  us 
call  loudly  for  our  ser\dce.  Some  are 
so  moved  by  this  call  that  they  over- 
work until  they  fall  exhausted,  like 
Phinehas  Stowe  of  the  Boston  Baptist 
Bethel,  whose  pathetic  cry  in  his  last 
hours  was:  ''I  have  a  great  work  to 
do."  Others  sit  with  folded  hands ; 
"am  /my  brother's  keeper?" 

*  Dr.  Guthrie. 


48  .        Servants   of   Christ. 

We  are  told  by  those  who  have  es- 
caped shipwreck  or  fire  at  sea,  that  the 
agonizing  cry  of  the  perishing  rang  in 
their  ears  for  weeks  and  months.  We 
have  read  of  a  shipwreck  when  hun- 
dreds perished,  and  a  wail  of  woe,  faint 
but  fearful,  reached  the  shore,  curdling 
the  blood  of  all  who  heard  it. 

The  calmness  of  some  ought  to  affect 
us  no  less  than  the  terror  of  others ; 
for  in  the  midnight  wreck  the  sleeper 
perishes  as  surely  as  he  who  vainly 
seeks  the  overcrowded  life-boat. 

"I  can  not  bring  myself  to  fear  death, 
as  I  suppose  I  ought, '^  said  Thaddeus 
Stevens:  ''for  according  to  the  creed 
under  which  I  was  reared,  I  am  in  sore 
peril."  When  asked  to  what  creed  he 
referred,  he  replied:  "The  Orthodox,' 
which  teaches  that  without  regenera- 
tion there  is  no  salvation.  My  mother 
was  a  Baptist,  and  so  good  a  woman 


Reasons  for  Serving.  49 

that  it  has  always  seemed  to  me  her 
reHgion  must  be  the  true  one.  Yet, 
though  I  have  never  experienced  what 
is  called  a  change  of  heart,  I  can  not 
help  trusting  that  all  Avill  be  well  with 
any  honest  soul  that,  on  the  whole,  has 
done  its  duty  by  its  fellow-creatures, 
and  has  not  shirked  or  dodged  its  re- 
sponsibilities. I  can  not  help  thinking 
that  there  is  a  better  world,  and  a 
happier  life  for  us  all :  but  no  one  has 
come  back  to  tell  us.  Well,  we  can  at 
least  hope  for  the  best,  and  face  the  in- 
evitable y 

Let  us  cease  not  to  cry  unto  the  Lord 
for  those  who  are  insensible  to  their 
great  peril.  And  also  in  their  ears  let 
us  cry:  "What  meanest  thou,  0  sleep- 
er ?     Arise,  call  upon  thy  God." 

When  Dr.  Guthrie  began  his  minis- 
try in  the  "dark  places"  of  Edinburgh, 
the  scenes  of  misery  that  he  witnessed 
4 


60  Servants  of  Christ. 

stirred  his  heart  to  its  very  depths. 
No  wonder:  for  "love  to  man  is  the  in- 
evitable result  of  love  to  Christ."  Af- 
ter the  morning  visits  in  his  parish  he 
would  almost  sicken  at  the  sights-  of 
the  comforts  on  his  own  dinner-table. 
In  his  address  before  a  vast  meeting 
on  Church  Extension,  he  thus  relieves 
his  over-burdened  heart: 

"I  can  never  forget,  nothing  can 
ever  efface  the  impression  made  on  my 
mind,  when  first  I  lifted  the  veil  from 
the  hideous  scene  of  starvation  and  sin 
that  lay  before  me.  The  scenes  that 
I  was  called  on  to  witness  the  first 
three  or  four  days  of  my  parochial  vis- 
itations almost  drove  sleep  from  my 
pillow.  They  haunted  me  like  very 
spectres,  and,  after  visiting  till  my 
heart  was  sick,  I  have  come  up  the 
College  Wynd  with  the  idea  that  I 
might  as  well  have  gone  to  be  a  mis- 


Reasons  for  Serving.  51 

sionary   among    the    Hindoos    on    the 
banks  of  the  Ganges. 

"It  appears  from  the  report  of  the 
Government  Commission,  that  in  this 
city  there  are  between  forty  and  fifty 
thousand  who  habitually  absent  them- 
selves from  the  house  of  God.  It  is 
astonishing  how  we  can  sit  and  listen 
so  calmly  to  such  a  fact  as  that  ?  Were 
a  man  to  rush  into  this  assembly  and 
cry  that  on  the  other  side  of  the  street 
a  house  was  on  fire,  and  that  some  for- 
ty or  fifty  human  beings  were  throng- 
ing its  upper  windows,  and  stretch- 
ing out  their  hands  for  help,  that 
news  would  go  like  an  electric  shock 
through  this  assembly.  We  would  rise 
in  a  mass,  and,  trying  who  should  be 
foremost,  rush  to  the  rescue.  The  fee- 
ble would  give  their  prayers  and  their 
tears,  and,  were  it  needed,  their  money 
too ;  and  where  is  the  man  that  would 


52  Servants  of  Christ. 

not  plant  his  ladder  against  the  smok- 
ing wall  and  peril  his  own  life  in  the 
attempt  to  save  others  ?  There  is  this 
difference  between  that  case  and  this, 
that  here  we  have  not  forty  or  fifty, 
but,  multiplying  a  thousand-fold,  we 
have  forty  or  fifty  thousand ;  ay,  and 
there  is  another  difference,  suppose  we 
left  them  to  perish,  this  fire  will  burn 
out,  the  shriek,  like  that  of  the  widow 
of  Hindoostan,  will  rise  on  the  air  for 
a  moment,  and  then  all  is  over.  But 
if  the  Bible  be  true,  there  are  nearly 
fifty  thousand  men  and  women  in  this 
city  passing  on  to  a  punishment  that 
shall  never  be  over  ? " 

Seldom  do  I  pass  out  of  church  after 
the  sacrament,  without  thinking  of  the 
latent  power  among  the  members.  If 
each  should  keep  the  vows  made,  how 
soon  our  influence  would  be  felt  in  the 
world. 


Reasons  for  Serving.  53 

LookiDg  down  from  his  pulpit  on 
the  crowded  pews,  Dr.  Guthrie  said : 
*'A  thought  that  presses  on  me  when 
I  cast  my  eyes  over  some  such  great  as- 
sembly, and  see  all  these  human  faces, 
is  this — what  power  is  here !  what  an 
immense  moral  power!  We  talk  of 
the  power  latent  in  steam — latent  till 
Watt  evoked  its  spirit  from  the  waters, 
and  set  the  giant  to  turn  the  iron 
arms  of  machinery.  It  is  impossible  to 
over-estimate  or  rather  to  estimate,  the 
power  that  lies  latent  in  our  churches. 
And  why  latent?  Because  men  and 
women  neither  appreciate  their  indi- 
vidual influence,  nor  estimate  aright 
their  individual  responsibilities." 
"Am  I  my  brother's  keeper?" 
Hear  this  word  of  the  Lord:  "When 
I  say  unto  the  wicked,  0  wicked  man, 
thou  shalt  surely  die :  if  thou  dost  not 
speak  to  warn   the   wicked   from   his 


54  Servants  of  Christ. 

way,  that  wicked  man  shall  die  in  his 
iniquity ;  but  his  blood  will  I  require 
at  thine  hand." 

"Therefore,  0  thou  son  of  man, 
speak  unto  the  house  of  Israel;"  "say 
unto  them,  As  I  live,  saith  the  Lord 
God,  I  have  no  pleasure  in  the  death 
of  the  wicked ;  but  that  the  wicked 
turn  from  his  way  and  live :  turn  ye, 
turn  ye  from  your  evil  ways ;  for  why 
will  ye  die  ? " 

"Blow  the  trumpet,  and  warn  the 
people." 

There  is  another  necessity  for  Chris- 
tian labor,  which  is  not  always  consid- 
ered. Xot  only  are  our  services  useful 
to  others ;  they  are  also  necessary  for 
the  proper  development  of  our  Chris- 
tian characters.  Inactivity  often  in- 
jures tools  more  than  constant  use. 
The  loss  in  a  factory  from  the  wear 
and   tear   of  the   ceaseless  machinery 


Reasons  for  Seryixg.  55 

is  nothing  compared  with  the  rust  of 
disuse. 

' '  If  the  planets  should  at  any  time 
stand  still  in  their  course,  they  would 
be  drawn  into  the  central  fire  and  con- 
sumed. It  is  necessary  to  their  well- 
being  that  they  should  be  flung  with 
all  their  force  on  a  path  of  activity. 
Disciples  of  Christ,  both  in  ancient 
and  modern  times,  lie  under  a  similar 
necessity.  Unless  they  are  thrown  out 
in  a  course  of  vigorous  action,  they 
will  be  drawn  into  an  orbit  so  nar- 
row that  action  wiU  be  no  longer  pos- 
sible." * 

And  I  think  many  disciples  will  bear 
witness  to  the  truth  of  what  I  say 
when  I  affirm  that  work  is  the  great 
panacea  for  many  spiritual  maladies. 
It  seems  to  possess  remarkable  healing 

*  Dr.  Guthrie. 


66  Servants   of   Christ. 

properties.  Let  sorrowful,  feeble,  sick- 
ly Christians,  whose  constant  cry  is : 
"Why  is  my  pain  perpetual,  and  my 
wound  incurable,  which  refuseth  to  be 
healed?"  try  work  for  the  Master.  It 
will  restore  tone  to  your  system ;  yes, 
"Thine  health  shall  spring  forth  speed- 
ily:" or  as  it  may  be  rendered;  "And 
thy  wounds  shall  speedily  be  healed 
over." 

"Of  that  wherewith  thy  God  hath 
blessed  thee  thou  shalt  give." 

"The  Lord  thy  God  shall  bless  thee 
in  all  thy  works." 

After  hearing  all  that  can  be  said 
in  the  way  of  arguments  for  working, 
nothing  touches  us  like  the  Master's 
simple  "Yerily  I  say  unto  you.  Inas- 
much as  ye  have  done  it  unto  one  of 
the  least  of  these  my  brethren,  ye  have 
done  it  unto  me." 

"One  of  the  least!"  for  "The  most 


Reasons  for  Serving.  57 

damaged  specimens  of  humanity  will 
serve  the  Lord's  purpose  when  they 
have  been  renewed  in  his  likeness. 
Manufacturers  of  paper  do  not  reject 
the  raw  material  because  it  is  torn  and 
filthy."* 

Can  it  be  that  Jesus'  love  for  "one 
of  the  least "  is  so  great  that  he  accepts 
what  we  do  for  "the  least"  as  if  we 
did  it  for  Him?  See  how  beautifully 
Christ  identifies  himself  with  his  chil- 
dren, and  provides  an  easy  service  for 
his  followers.  "A  few  daj's  ago,"  said 
a  generous-hearted  gentleman,  "I  car- 
ried to  a  poor  Christian  woman  a  com- 
forter, warm  but  well-worn,  and  two 
loaves  of  bread — good  bread,  but  a  lit- 
tle stale.  The  weather  was  very  cold, 
and  the  comforter  was  gratefully  re- 
ceived.    The  poor  woman  was  hungry, 

*  Dr.  Amot. 


58  Servants  of  Christ. 

and  the  bread  was  better  than  she  usu- 
ally obtained.  But  while  listening  to 
the  sermon  to-day  ('Inasmuch  as  ye 
did  it  unto  one  of  the  least  of  these 
my  brethren,  ye  did  it  unto  me'),  I 
thought  that,  had  I  reflected  that  it  was 
Jesus  I  was  visiting,  in  the  person  of 
one  of  his  disciples,  I  would  have  taken 
a  new  comforter  and  fresh  bread." 

''  Oh !  if  Christ  were  on  earth," 
writes  Bishop  Simpson,  "it  seems  to 
me  I  would  go  and  worship  at  his  feet. 
Some  of  you  would  go  and  wash  them 
with  your  tears,  and  dry  them  with  the 
hairs  of  your  head.  You  would  go  to 
the  very  ends  of  the  earth  to  do  some- 
thing for  Jesus.  You  need  not  go  so 
far.  All  around  you  are  the  friends  of 
Jesus." 

"For  ye  have  the  poor  with  you 
always,  and  whensoever  ye  will  ye 
may  do  them  good." 


^^^ 


Y. 


EXCUSES    AND    HINDEANCES. 


/jrAN  we  offer  any  excuse  for  not 
^^     serving? 

Not  infrequently  we  hear  the  re- 
mark: "We  are  getting  too  old;  you 
younger  ones  must  take  our  places." 

Those  of  us  who  have  not  yet  reached 
the  time  of  old  age  must  be  very  cau- 
tious in  judging  this  class,  for  we  can 
not  understand  the  weakness  and  wea- 
riness that  may  belong  to  the  aged. 
We  are  sorry  to  lose  their  experience, 
yet  if  we  are  sure  of  their  prayers  we 
feel  they  greatly  help  us  in  our  more 
active  work.    When  we  reach  old  Sim- 


60  Servants  of  Christ. 

eon's  age  it  will  be  excusable  if  we 
sing  "  IS'unc  Dimittis'';  but  we  think 
we  would  rather  imitate  aged  Anna, 
who  after  a  sight  of  her  long-expected 
Lord,  "spake  of  him  to  all  them  that 
looked  for  redemption  in  Israel."  We 
would  like  to  have  the  enthusiasm  of 
old  Dr.  Duff.  After  pleading  for  an 
hour  and  a  half  in  behalf  of  India,  he 
fainted,  and  was  carried  into  the  vesti- 
bule. When  he  revived  he  said:  "I 
didn't  get  quite  through :  let  me  go 
back  and  finish."  They  said  ;  "  If  you 
go  back  it  will  cost  you  your  life." 
"Well,"  he  said,  "I  shall  die  if  I 
don't."  So  they  carried  him  back. 
As  they  passed  up  the  aisle  the  people 
rose,  and  tears  flowed  down  every 
cheek  at  sight  of  the  old  veteran.  He 
said  to  them:  "Fathers  and  mothers 
of  Scotland,  is  it  true  that  you  have 
got  no  more  sons  to  give  to  India  ?     I 


Excuses  and  Hindrances.       61 

have  spent  twenty-five  years  of  my  life 
there,  and  I  have  come  back  to  die; 
there  is  plenty  of  money  in  the  bank, 
but  your  sons  are  not  willmg  to  go. 
If  a  call  comes  from  the  queen  to  go 
there  in  the  army,  they  are  ready.  Is 
it  come  to  this,  that  the  Lord  calls  for 
recruits  for  his  kingdom  and  they  will 
not  go  ?  "  And  turning  to  the  moder- 
ator he  said;  "  If  there  is  no  one  to  go 
to  India  I  will  return  to  them,  and  will 
let  them  know  that  there  is  one  old 
Scotchman  that  can  die  for  them  if  he 
can't  live  for  them.'' 

"Hear  this,  ye  old  men;"  "they 
shall  still  bring  forth  fruit  in  old  age." 

The  plea  of  personal  unfitness  is 
too  poor  an  excuse  to  be  mentioned. 
Think  you  that  the  Lord  who  re- 
deemed you  to  work,  can  not  make 
you  fit,  if  you  are  willing? 

We    will    imagine    you    have    just 


62  Servants  of  Christ. 

completed  an  academic  or  collegiate 
course.  Frequently  the  question  is 
asked:  "What  profession  do  you  in- 
tend following?"  and  it  may  be  your 
reply  is:  "The  law."  "The  law!  why, 
what  do  you  know  about  the  theory 
or  practice  of  the  law  ? "  And  you 
reply;  "Nothing."  "What  will  you 
do  then?"  "Why  I  expect  to  enter 
the  law  school  where  I  can  learn  the 
theory ;  and  at  the  same  time  I  will 
be  in  a  law  office,  where  I  can  learn 
the  practice." 

No  one  thinks  of  advising  you  to 
avoid  the  profession  because  you  are 
ignorant  of  its  duties.  Step  by  step 
you  advance.  You  watch  the  office 
work  closely,  and  in  the  daily  assist- 
ance you  are  called  upon  to  render  you 
put  in  practice  what  you  are  learning. 
The  application  is  easy.  Fifteen  years 
ago,   in  a  little,   old  shanty  that  had 


Excuses  and  Hind^iances.       63 

been  abandoned  by  a  Chicago  saloon- 
keeper, D  wight  L.  Moody  was  at- 
tempting to  conduct  a  rehgious  meet- 
ing. "He  was  trying,"  writes  one  of 
the  audience,  "to  read  the  story  of 
the  Prodigal  Son.  But  a  great  many 
of  the  words  he  could  not  make  out 
and  had  to  skip.  I  thought,  if  the 
Lord  can  ever  use  such  an  instrument 
as  that  for  his  honor  and  glory,  it  will 
astonish  me." 

What  have  we  heard  and  seen  dur- 
ing the  past  two  years  ?  Throughout 
England,  Scotland,  and  Ireland  stu- 
dents, professors,  learned  skeptics,  ig- 
norant Romanists,  operatives,  artisans, 
inventors,  children,  lords,  ladies,  and 
all  classes  of  people  have  been  borne 
irresistibly  by  the  words  of  the  great 
evangelist.  And  now  in  our  own  land 
large  audiences  are  assembling  daily 
to  listen  to  his  plain,  earnest  words. 


64  Servants  of  Christ. 

"Ah,  Lord  God!  behold,  I  can  not 
speak."  "  But  the  Lord  said  unto 
me  ; "  "  thou  shalt  go  to  all  that 
I  shall  send  thee,  and  whatsoever 
I  command  thee  thou  shalt  speak." 
''Then  the  Lord  put  forth  his  hand, 
and  touched  my  mouth.  And  the 
Lord  said  unto  me,  Behold  I  have 
put  my  words  in  thy  mouth." 

"All  things  are  yours."  "Ask,  and 
ye  shall  receive." 

There  is  one  thing  we  can  '  all  do, 
and  that  is  avoid  hindering  the  work 
of  others. 

There  are  petrifying  wells  where  a 
bunch  of  luscious  grapes  speedily  turns 
into  a  bunch  of  unsatisfying  stones. 
And  there  are  petrifying  communities 
where  Christian  activity  meets  cold  re- 
buff, almost  if  not  quite  destructive  to 
its  life.  And  there  are  petrifying  in- 
dividuals, whose  quiet  contempt  or  ex- 


Excuses  and  Hindrances.       65 

pressed  suspicion  of  your  methods  or 
motives  weaken  your  strength  in  the 
way. 

There  are  idlers  in  the  market-place, 
heeding  not  the  Lord's  call,  and  un- 
consciously hindering  those  who  would 
hasten  to  the  help  of  the  Lord.  We 
all  know  some  such,  who  rob  us  of 
our  best  working  hours,  and  give  us 
no  adequate  return.  They  "take  no 
note  of  time,"  and  laugh  at  us  for 
treasuring  the  precious  moments. 

There  are  envious  souls  who  hinder 
the  work  of  others  ^  for  ' '  who  is  able 
to  stand  before  envy?"  It  "is  the 
rottenness  of  the  bones."  Its  green 
eye  can  not  bear  to  look  upon  the  suc- 
cessful work  of  others,  even  though  it 
is  work  done  for  the  Lord. 

Lord,  let  these  "  be  ashamed  for 
their  envy  at  the  people  ; "  "  for  Thou 
also  hath  wrought  all  our  works  in  us." 


66  Servants  of  Christ. 

For  "the  workmen  wrought,  and  the 
work  was  perfected  by  them;"  but  it 
was  "the  glory  of  the  Lord  that  filled 
the  house." 

"  Hinder  me  not,  0  my  friends." 
The  timid  hinder  God's  work  and 
ours  more  than  they  realize.  Unless 
we  are  very  Pauls  and  Peters  we 
can  hardly  fail  to  feel  their  influence. 
It  weakens  our  hands ;  it  wearies  our 
head  and  heart.  With  them  fear  seems 
always  to  "be  in  the  way."  And  when 
one  says  to  them ;  '  *  The  Lord  deliv- 
ered me  from  all  my  fears,"  they  call 
it  foolhardiness.  They  seem  to  pos- 
sess every  fear  save  * '  the  fear  of  the 
Lord." 

Let  us  see  to  it  that  we  belong  to 
none  of  these  classes.  "I  will  work, 
and  who  shall  let  it  ?  "  saith  the  Lord. 
Withdraw  quickly  then  your  opposing 
arm ;  ' '  lest  haply  ye  be  found  even  to 


Excuses  and  Hindrances.       67 

fight  against  God."  Lend  quickly  a 
helping  hand,  lest  the  curse  of  Meroz 
be  yours:  "Curse  ye  Meroz,  said  the 
angel  of  the  Lord,  curse  ye  bitterly  the 
inhabitants  thereof;  because  they  came 
not  to  the  help  of  the  Lord,  to  the  help 
of  the  Lord  against  the  mighty." 

And  here  in  passing  we  are  con- 
strained to  say  a  word  to  parents.  Do 
not  withhold  your  children,  for  the 
Lord  hath  need  of  them.  If  you  have 
given  them  in  baptism  to  Him  wdio 
withholds  no  good  thing  from  you,  then 
I  say  boldly  in  the  name  of  the  Lord : 
''Withhold  not  good  from"  Him  "to 
whom  it  is  due."  "Ah!  but  we  want 
our  children.  We  are  growing  old, 
and  we  want  them  to  be  at  our  side  to 
minister  to  us  in  our  helplessness,  and 
to  close  our  eyes  in  death.  God  gave 
them,  and  we  mean  to  keep  them." 

"There  is  that  scattereth,  and  yet 


68  Servants  of   Christ. 

increase th :  and  there  is  that  withhold- 
eth  more  than  is  meet,  but  it  tendeth 
to  poverty." 

Hannah  gave  her  one  httle  precious 
son  to  the  Lord ;  and  received  in  re- 
turn "  a  worthy  portion."  "  The  Lord 
maketh  poor,  and  maketh  rich ;  he 
bringeth  low,  and  hfteth  up." 

Years  ago,  in  the  persecuting  times, 
a  pious  woman  was  put  on  trial  for 
loving  Jesus,  and  worshipping  Him  ac- 
cording to  the  dictates  of  her  own  con- 
science. At  first  the  magistrate  coun- 
selled her  to  recant,  but  she  would  not 
deny  Jesus.  He  then  threatened  that 
he  would  take  away  her  husband ;  and 
she  calmly  said:  "May  it  please  your 
honor,  Jesus  is  my  husband."  ''I  will 
take  away  your  child,"  said  the  judge ; 
and  she  answered:  "  My  Jesus  is  bet- 
ter to  me  than  ten  sons."  "I  will 
strip  thee  of  all  thy  outward  comforts," 


Excuses  and  Hindrances.       69 

sharply  said  the  judge  once  more. 
"Yea,  but  Jesus  is  min^,"  she  quickly 
replied  ;  *'  and  you  can  not  strip  me  of 
Him." 

Fathers  and  mothers,  you  who  can 
say:  "Jesus  is  mine;"  can  you  not 
give  Him  your  children,  showing  by 
this  act  that  Jesus  is  better  to  you 
than  ten  sons.  When  He  calls  will 
you  keep  them  back?  Dare  you  re- 
fuse to  let  them  go  ? 

Will  you  not  rather,  from  their  ear- 
liest youth,  trahi  them  with  special 
reference  to  the  Lord's  service?  Let 
it  be  understood  by  your  young  chil- 
dren that  the  greatest  desire  of  your 
heart  is  to  have  them  become  faithful 
servants  of  Christ.  This  does  not  nec- 
essarily imply  that  your  sons  must  all 
be  ministers  and  your  daughters  all 
missionaries ;  3^et,  it  seems  to  me,  this 
ought  to  be  esteemed  a  great  honor 


70  Servants  of  Christ. 

by  Christian  parents.  Let  this  be  the 
aim  in  their  training,  and  then  if  their 
choice  differs  from  yours,  "  thou  hast 
dehvered  thy  soul." 

"Take  now  th}^  son,  thine  only  son 
Isaac,  whom  thou  lovest."  And  Abra- 
ham "bound  Isaac  his  son,"  "and  took 
the  knife." 

"And  Grod  Almighty  bless  thee," 
"and  give  thee  the  blessing  of  Abra- 
ham, to  thee,  and  to  thy  seed  with 
thee." 

An  eminent  clergyman  sat  in  his 
study  writing  his  sermon.  His  little 
boy  toddled  into  the  room  with  an  ex- 
pression of  suffering,  and  holding  up 
his  pinched  finger  said:  "Look,  pa, 
how  I  hurt  it ! "  The  father,  inter- 
rupted in  the  middle  of  a  sentence, 
glanced  hastily  at  him,  and  with  just 
the  slightest  tone  of  impatience,  said ; 
"I  can  not  help  it,  sonny."     The  little 


Excuses  and  Hindrances.       71 

fellow's  eyes  grew  bigger,  and  as  he 
turned  to  go  out  he  said,  in  a  low 
voice;  "Yes,  you  could:  you  might 
have  said,   'Oh!"^ 

Was  not  this  a  sermon  in  a  nut- 
shell ! 

While  Captain  Webb  was  accom- 
plishing his  great  feat  of  swimming 
from  Dover  to  Calais,  the  papers  in- 
form us  that,  in  strict  accordance  with 
previous  agreement,  no  one  assisted 
him  in  the  least:  that  is,  he  touched 
no  support  for  twenty-one  hours  and 
three  quarters.  But  a  row-boat  pre- 
ceded him,  to  direct  his  course,  and 
friends  in  the  boat  watched  him  anx- 
iously, and  supplied  him  with  refresh- 
ments when  needed.  As  he  neared  the 
shore  anxiety  for  the  exhausted  swim- 
mer became  more  intense,  for  wind 
and  tide  grew  stronger  as  the  poor 
man's   strength   ebbed.     While    angry 


72  Servants  of  Christ. 

seas  were  breaking  over  him,  a  large 
row-boat,  containing  eight  friends,  was 
launched,  and  as  they  rapidly  came 
towards  him  cheer  after  cheer  fell 
upon  the  ear  of  the  weary  man.  And 
better  still,  these  friends  rowed  on  the 
weather  side  and  saved  the  seas  from 
breaking  over  him.  And  so  at  last 
Webb  touched  the  shore,  and  the  men 
in  the  boats  leaped  out  to  hug  him 
with  delight,  while  a  crowd  of  ex- 
cited spectators  joined  in  the  hearty 
welcome. 

At  a  fire  in  a  large  city,  while  the 
upper  stories  of  a  lofty  dwelling  were 
wrapped  in  smoke,  and  the  lower  sto- 
ries were  all  aglow  with  flame,  a  pierc- 
ing shriek  told  the  startled  firemen 
that  there  was  some  one  still  in  the 
building  in  peril.  A  ladder  was  quick- 
ly reared,  until  it  touched  the  heated 
walls;  and  diving  through  the  flames  and 


Excuses  and  Hindraxces.       73 

smoke  a  brave  young  fireman  rushed  up 
the  rounds  on  his  errand  of  mercy. 

Stifled  by  the  smoke  he  stopped,  and 
was  about  to  descend.  The  crowd  was 
in  agony,  as  a  Ufe  seemed  lost,  for  every 
moment  of  hesitation  seemed  an  age. 
While  this  shivering  fear  seized  every 
beholder,  a  voice  from  the  crowd  called 
out;  **  Cheer  him!  cheer  him  I"  and  a 
wild  "  hurrah  "  burst  from  the  anxious 
spectators.  As  the  cheer  reached  the 
fireman  he  started  upward  through  the 
curling  smoke,  and  in  a  few  minutes 
was  seen  coming  down  with  a  child  in 
his  arms.     The  cheer  did  the  work. 

"Those  who  watch  us  at  the  start," 
said  an  old  life-boatman,  "always  give 
us  a  cheer  and  a  '  God-speed '  at  start- 
ing, and  a  '  Well-done  all '  when  the 
work  is  over." 

"Bear  ye  one  another's  burdens,  and 
so  fulfil  the  law  of  Christ." 


YI. 

HOW    SHALL    WE    SEEVE. 

^JT  is  not  enough  that  we  refrain 
^  from  hindering;  or  even  that  we 
give  our  warm  sympathy  and  hearty 
cheer.  We  must  render  immediate, 
personal,  cheerful,  earnest  and  constant 
service. 

Our  service  must  be  immediate,  in 
obedience  to  the  command;  "Go  work 
to-day  in  my  vineyard."  And  here,  as 
everywhere,  the  Master  must  be  our 
model:  and  his  own  words  are;  "I 
must  work  the  works  of  Him  that  sent 
me,  while  it  is  day;  the  night  cometh, 
when  no  man  can  work." 


How  Shall  We  Serve.         75 

*'  Four  things  come  not  back;  the 
spoken  word;  the  sped  arrow;  the  past 
Hfe;  the  neglected  opportunity." 

"  I  shall  never  forgive  myself  in  this 
world,"  said  Dr.  Guthrie,  in  a  large  as- 
sembly, "that  once  I  did  not  save  a 
child  from  ruin." 

The  lost  opportunity  to  which  he 
alludes,  is  related  in  his  autobiography. 
One  night,  in  his  visit  to  the  police 
court,  as  he  looked  down  from  a  gal- 
lery upon  an  open  space  below,  he  saw 
a  poor  child,  about  eight  years  old,  ly- 
ing on  the  pavement,  with  a  brick  for 
a  pillow.  He  laid  right  before  the 
stove,  and  its  ruddy  light  falling  full 
upon  him  revealed  the  sweetest,  calm- 
est face  that  could  be  seen.  "  His 
story  was  sad,  but  not  singular.  He 
knew  neither  father  nor  mother,  broth- 
ers nor  friends,  in  the  wide  world;  his 
only  friends  were  the  police,  his  only 


76  Servants  of  Christ. 

home  their  office.  How  he  hved  they 
did  not  know ;  but  there  he  was  at 
night ;  the  stone  by  the  stove  was  a 
better  bed  than  the  steps  of  a  cold 
stair.  I  could  not  get  that  boy  out  of 
my  head  or  heart  for  days  and  nights 
.together.  I  have  often  regretted  that 
some  effort  was  not  made  to  save  him. 
Before  now,  launched  on  the  sea  of  hu- 
man passions  and  exposed  to  a  thou- 
sand temptations,  he  has,  too  probably, 
become  a  melancholy  wreck;  left  by  a 
society,  more  criminal  than  he,  to  be- 
come a  criminal,  and  then  punished  for 
his  fate,  not  his  fault." 

*'  And  when  she  saw  the  ark  among 
the  flags,  she  sent  her  maid  to  fetch 
it.*' 

"That  thou  doest,  do  quickly." 
As  soon  as  President  Charles  Fin- 
ney experienced  the  forgiving  grace  of 
our  Lord  Jesus,  he  dropped  his  work 


How  Shall  We  Serve.         77 

in  his  chosen  profession  almost  as  sud- 
denly as  the  sons  of  Zebedee  left  their 
nets,  and,  entering  upon  the  work  of 
an  evangelist,  was  henceforth  intense- 
ly consecrated  to  the  work  of  saving 
men. 

"And  straightway  they  forsook  their 
nets.'^ 

As  soon  as  the  apostles  received 
power  they  exercised  it.  Impetuous 
Peter  does  not  wait  to  have  a  pulpit 
built  for  him,  but,  thinking  of  the  per- 
ishing around  him,  "rushes  in,  and 
strikes  home,  to  win  souls."  "In 
those  da3'S  Peter  stood  up."  And  we 
can  never  think  of  him  as  sitting  with 
folded  hands. 

"  And  Moses  said  unto  Aaron,  Take 
a  censer,  and  put  fire  therein  from  off 
the  altar,  and  put  on  incense,  and  go 
quickly  unto  the  congregation,  and 
make    an    atonement    for    them :    for 


78  Servants   of   Christ. 

there  is  wrath  gone  out  from  the 
Lord ;  the  plague  is  begun." 

And  Aaron  ran. 

*'  Go  out  quickly  into  the  streets  and 
lanes  of  the  city/'  said  the  Master, 
"and  bring  in  hither  the  poor,  and  the 
mained,  and  the  halt,  and  the  blind.'' 
"Go  out  into  the  highways  and  hedges, 
and  compel  them  to  come  in." 

"And  the  king's  servants  said  unto 
the  king,  Behold,  thy  servants  are  ready 
to  do  whatsoever  my  lord  the  king 
shall  appoint." 

' '  Slack  not  thy  hand  from  thy  ser- 
vants ;"  cry  the  men  of  Gibeon,  "  come 
up  to  us  quickly,  and  save  us,  and  help 
us."  "Joshua  therefore  came  unto 
them  suddenly,  and  went  up  from  Gil- 
gal  all  night." 

"Would  you  call  young  converts  to 
immediate  service?"  asks  one:  "for 
the  work  requires  experience,  wisdom 


How  Shall  We  Serve.         79 

and  tact."  We  answer  there  are  camps 
of  instruction  in  the  church  of  Christ 
where  raw  recruits  may  be  drilled. 
Let  them  enter  the  Sabbath  school 
and  take  a  class :  for  in  the  teacher's 
place  more  can  be  learned  than  in  tlie 
scholar's.  Let  them  take  small  tract 
districts,  and  go  out  in  the  streets  and 
lanes.  Let  them  establish  small  prayer- 
meetings,  where  they  can  exercise  new- 
ly attained  powers.  If  they  can  get  the 
right  kind  of  a  person  from  the  veter- 
an corps  to  help  and  advise  them,  it 
will  be  an  advantage.  But  simple  re- 
liance upon  the  Master  is  better  by  far. 
"He  giveth  power  to  the  faint;"  wis- 
dom to  those  who  lack :  and  courage 
to  all  who  wait  upon  Him. 

"  I  will  instruct  thee  and  teach  thee 
in  the  way  which  thou  shalt  go :  I  will 
guide  thee  with  mine  eye." 

"With  the  well-advised  is  wisdom." 


80  Servants  of  Christ. 

A  young  Norwegian,  converted  at 
one  of  Mr.  Moody's  meetings  in  Eng- 
land, has  started  the  first  Sunday  scliool 
ever  opened  in  Northern  Norway. 

"  Whatsoever  thy  hand  findeth  to  do, 
do  it  with  thy  might;  for  there  is  no 
work,  nor  device,  nor  knowledge,  nor 
wisdom,  in  the  grave  whither  thou 
goest." 

"  Every  child  of  God,"  saj^s  Mr. 
Moody,  "ought  to  be  always  ready 
to  work  and  lead  others  to  Christ. 
Each  one  has  at  least  one  talent ;  and 
if  that  was  improved  God  would  giv^e 
more." 

Mr.  Moody's  own  experience  has  ver- 
ified the  truth  of  his  words  ;  and  we  all 
easily  perceive  that  he  has  to-day  much 
more  than  one  talent,  in  trust. 

"He  went  about  doing  good." 

In  personal  service  also  our  Mas- 
ter is  our  model.     His  look,  his  touch, 


How  Shall  We  Serve.         81 

his  tears,  his  voice,  wrought  an  effect- 
ual work  among  the  sorrow-stricken 
who  met  him  in  the  way.  "Master, 
I  beseech  thee  look  upon  my  son : " 
cries  a  broken-hearted  father.  Before 
the  glance  of  Jesus  the  unclean  spirit 
shrinks  back  dismayed,  and  the  child 
is  restored.  "And  they  bring  a  blind 
man  unto  him,  and  besought  him  to 
touch  him.  And  he  took  the  blind 
man  by  the  hand,  and  led  him  out 
of  the  town ;  and  when  he  had  spit 
on  his  eyes,  and  put  his  hands  upon 
him,  he  asked  him  if  he  saw  aught. 
And  he  looked  up,  and  said,  I  see  men 
as  trees  walking.  After  that,  he  put 
his  hands  again  upon  his  eyes,  and 
made  him  look  up;  and  he  was  re- 
stored, and  saw  every  man  clearly.^' 
His  tears  at  the  grave  of  Lazarus 
touched  many  hearts,  and  led  the 
Jews   to    exclaim:    "Behold   how   he 


82  Servants  of  Christ. 

loved  him!"  And  that  shortest  verse 
in  the  Bible,  "Jesus  wept,*'  has  been 
a  whole  sermon  of  comfort  to  the  sor- 
rowing of  all  ages  and  climes.  "Laz- 
arus, come  fortii ! "  cries  the  mighty 
voice,  and  the  obedient  grave  gives 
up  the  dead.  "  Yerily,  verily,  I  say 
unto  you,  The  hour  is  coming,  and 
now  is,  when  the  dead  shall  hear  the 
voice  of  the  Son  of  God,  and  they 
that  hear  shall  live."  "  Marvel  not 
at  this :  for  the  hour  is  coming,  in 
the  which  all  that  are  in  the  graves 
shall  hear  his  voice,  and  shall  come 
forth." 

"The  voice  of  the  Lord  is  power- 
ful."    "  It  is  the  voice  of  my  beloved." 

In  one  of  our  neighboring  cities  a 
lady  passing  a  dram-shop,  noticed  a 
man  stao^o'eriDo;  out,  and  heard  him 
utter  these  words  in  a  hopeless  tone  ; 
"Lost,  utterly  lost!"     Coming  nearer 


How  Shall  We  Serye.         83 

she  laid  her  hand  upon  his  arm,  and 
said;  "  My  friend,  you  are  not  lost,  for 
Jesus  came  to  save  the  lost."  Then 
and  there  out  of  a  loving  heart,  she 
preached  unto  him  Jesus.  Amazed 
and  deeply  touched  the  man  followed 
the  lady  as  she  walked  home,  observ- 
ing carefully  the  house  she  entered. 
And  in  the  good  providence  of  God 
there  soon  came  a  day  when  he  en- 
tered that  house  bringing  to  his  friend 
the  glad  tidings  of  his  conversion  and 
reformation.  That  human  touch  was 
as  if  Jesus  roet  him  in  the  way. 

"  Thou  therefore  gird  up  thy  loins, 
and  arise  and  speak  unto  them."  "  And 
he  that  hath  my  word,  let  him  speak 
my  word  faithfully."  For  ''silence  is 
sin,"  says  Dr.  Arnot,  "if  your  cry 
might  prevent  a  neighbor  from  stum- 
bling over  a  precipice." 

On   the    ceiling    of   the   Rospigliosi 


84  Servants  of  Christ.. 

Palace  there  is  a  beautiful  painting  of 
the  Aurora.  But  the  effect  intended 
to  be  produced  by  Guido  Reni  was 
never  realized,  because  the  fresco  was 
too  far  from  the  spectators,  who  soon 
became  weary  and  dizzy  by  looking  up 
at  it.  To  obviate  this  difficulty  a  mir- 
ror was  placed  on  the  floor  beneath, 
and  the  painting  reflected  now  became 
pleasant  to  the  eye  ;  and  the  longer  it 
was  examined  in  the  glass,  the  more  it 
was  appreciated  and  admired. 

Let  us  imagine  a  case. 

Weary  with  gazing  upward,  you 
turn  your  eye  to  the  mirrored  repre- 
sentation, and  perceive  a  stranger  at 
your  side,  and  hear  a  low-drawn  sigh. 
"  What  troubles  you  ? ''  you  venture  to 
inquire.  "  0,  sir,"  says  the  stranger, 
"I  hear  the  exclamations  of  delight 
all  around  me,  but  I  can  see  nothing.'* 
"Perhaps  you  are  near-sighted;"  you 


How  Shall  We  Serve.         85 

remark:  ''then  look  into  this  mirror, 
and  you  will  lose  nothing,  for  it  is  all 
faithfully  reflected  there." 

Another  sigh  escapes  the  stranger, 
and  in  tones  that  touch  your  heart  he 
replies  ;   "  Alas,  I  am  blind  !  " 

Wondering  what  led  him  in  among 
the  beauties  he  can  not  see,  you  draw 
his  arm  within  your  own,  and  lead  him 
out,  and  sitting  down  in  Grod's  sweet 
sunshine,  you  speak  to  him  in  tones 
of  kindly  sympathy,  until  his  heart  is 
drawn  out  toward  you.  Turning  his 
sightless  eyes  to  yours  he  exclaims ; 
*•  Surely  you  must  be  one  who  loves 
Jesus  the  Crucified,  for  I  have  heard 
they  love  every  body  else  as  well." 

It  is  easy  now  for  you  to  speak  that 
dear  name  ;  easy  now  to  tell  the  stran- 
ger of  Blind  Bar  time  us  and  the  Great 
Healer  who  met  him  by  the  way.  The 
beauty  of  Guido   Reni's   Aurora  was 


86  Servants  of  Christ. 

lost  upon  the  blind  man,  and  the  mh'- 
rored  representation  did  him  no  good. 
But  with  eyes  of  his  heart  he  saw  Je- 
sus reflected  in  the  sympathizing  stran- 
ger at  his  side. 

And  so  it  often  comes  to  pass  that 
those  who  are  blind  to  the  glory  of 
"The  high  and  lofty  One  that  inhabit- 
eth  eternity/'  and  blmd  to  the  beauty 
of  Jesus,  who  is  "  the  express  image 
of  his  person,"  see  the  divine  hnage 
reflected  m  some  humble  disciple. 

"Love  one  another;  as  I  have  loved 
you."  "And  let  this  love  bring  forth 
much  fruit;"  "So  shall  ye  be  my  dis- 
ciples." 

A  traveller  in  Egypt  speaking  of  the 
temples  says  they  are  surrounded  by 
small  chapels,  some  of  them  cut  from  a 
single  stone.  One  unused  stone  was 
pointed  out  that  had  been  carried 
nine  hundred  miles.    It  w^eighed  twelve 


How  Shall  We  Serve.         87 

haiidred  tons.  "Why  leave  unused 
so  goodly  a  stone  ? "  asks  the  travel- 
ler. And  the  answer  is;  "Because 
the  workmen  sighed  at  the  journey's 
end."  They  will  not  insult  the  gods 
by  offering  what  is  given  with  regret. 
This  objection  can  never  be  made 
concerning  the  stone  that  is  laid  "  in 
Zion  for  a  foundation."  Our  "tried 
stone,"  our  "precious  corner-stone,'* 
our  "sure  foundation,"  "was  cut  out 
of  the  mountain  without  hands,"  as  the 
prophet  foretold ;  and  though  to  hu- 
man appearance  his  life  was  in  the 
hands  of  his  enemies,  nevertheless  his 
own  words  were  true:  "No  man  tak- 
eth  it  from  me,  but  I  lay  it  down  of 
myself.  I  have  power  to  lay  it  down, 
and  I  have  power  to  take  it  again." 
"Kno^vest  thou  not,"  says  Pilate,  "that 
I  have  power  to  crucify  thee,  and  have 
power    to    release    thee  ?     Jesus    an- 


88  Servants   of   Christ. 

swered,  thou  couldest  have  no  power  at 
all  against  me,  except  it  were  given 
thee  from  above."  And  with  this  will- 
ing sacrifice  God,  who  "loveth  a  cheer- 
ful giver,"  was  well-pleased,  for  "it 
pleased  the  Lord  to  bruise  him." 

The  outline  of  the  most  wonderful 
picture  the  world  has  ever  seen  was 
dimly  visible  long  years  ago  on  Mount 
Moriah.  Look  for  a  moment  at  this 
cartoon,  while  yet  art  was  in  swad- 
dling-clothes. 

The  father  rises  "early  in  the  morn- 
ing," and  hastens  to  obey  the  divine 
command.  Isaac,  the  "only  son"  and 
well-beloved,  dutifully  follows.  With- 
out murmuring  or  gainsaying,  the  obe- 
dient father  lays  the  submissive  son 
upon  the  altar  of  sacrifice.  "And 
Abraham  stretched  forth  his  hand,  and 
took  the  knife  to  slay  his  son,"  when 
lo !    a   substitute    is    found,    even    "a 


How  Shall  We  Serve.         89 

ram  caught  in  a  thicket  by  his  horns," 
and  held  there  by  power  divine. 

Generations  looked  admiringly  upon 
this  beautiful  cartoon;  but  it  dimly 
foreshadowed  Calvary's  picture.  See 
now  the  back  of  the  cartoon  is  covered 
with  darkness  and  blood,  and  a  sharp 
instrument  cuts  into  every  line  of  the 
wonderful  design.  "  They  pierced  my 
hands  and  my  feet."  And  "one  of 
the  soldiers  with  a  spear  pierced  his 
side." 

Yet  he  could  say:  "  I  delight  to  do 
thy  will,  0  my  Grod." 

Look  now  upon  him  "whom  they 
have  pierced,"  and  mourn  not,  but 
rather  rejoice.  Frescoed  upon  heav- 
en's eternal  wall,  beyond  the  ravages 
of  time,  see  the  glorious  picture  of 
"  the  King  in  his  beauty,"  "the  Lamb 
that  was  slain." 

And  as  you  look,  redeemed  of  the 


90  Servants  of  Christ. 

Lord,  let  it  not  satisfy  you  to  sing  a 
new  song  of  praise  and  thanksgiving : 
but  let  the  sight  of  this  cheerful,  will- 
ing sacrifice  lead  you  to  cheerful  service. 

"This  have  I  done  for  thee. 
What  hast  thou  done  for  me?" 

A  weaver  sat  before  his  loom,  busily 
weaving  the  beautiful  colors  into  a  car- 
pet for  royal  feet.  As  he  wove,  the 
golden  sunbeams  fell  upon  his  work 
and  lit  it  up  so  beautifully,  that  he 
stopped  his  hand  to  gaze  upon  it.  The 
thought  entered  his  heart  to  weave  the 
sunbeams  in  with  his  woof.  "Oh,"  he 
said,  "  if  I  could  but  fasten  the  golden, 
flashing  rays  when  they  rest  on  my 
work  my  fortune  would  be  made." 

And  the  idea  became  the  one  thought 
of  his  life,  until  from  an  enthusiast  he 
became  almost  insane.  When,  by  af- 
ter years  of  faithful  working,  he  sue- 


How  Shall  We  Serve.         91 

ceeded  in  producing  a  carpet  upon 
which  the  warm  sunhght  lay,  he  was 
indeed  famous.  Kings  came  from  afar 
to  see  the  wonderful  fruits  of  his  skill, 
and  his  work  became  immortal. 

A  sinner  saved  by  grace  knelt  at 
the  mercy-seat,  giving  thanks  for  di- 
vine favor.  As  he  prayed  golden  rays 
from  the  Sun  of  Righteousness  shone 
into  the  deepest  recesses  of  his  once 
darkened  heart.  "Oh,"  he  said,  "  if  I 
could  but  fasten  these  rays  within  my 
heart,  how  happy  I  would  be." 

He  prayed  awhile,  and  then  a  better 
thought  came  into  his  mind.  "  Oh,  if 
only  I  could  shed  these  rays  into  other 
darkened  souls,  how  happy  I  would  be 
through  time   and   through  eternity !  " 

He  rose  with  shining  face,  and  went 
his  way  carrjdng  sunshine.  The  subtle 
beams  from  his  happy  heart  entered 
many  other   hearts,    and   transformed 


92  Servants  of  Christ. 

many  lives  into  anthems  of  praise  to 
Jesus. 

"Come  ye,  and  let  us  walk  in  the 
light  of  the  Lord." 

In  earnestness  also  the  Master  is  our 
model.  His  forerunner  was  a  man  of 
wonderful  earnestness,  who  mused  in 
the  wilderness  until  "  the  fire  burned," 
and  then  spake  burning  words.  "  Re- 
spectable, conventional  teachers,  who 
spake  smooth  things  and  prophesied 
deceits  "  hardly  relished  his  cutting  re- 
bukes. The  "vibrating  tone  of  a  voice 
that  rang  with  scorn  and  indignation  " 
was  not  pleasant  music  to  the  self-sat- 
isfied ears  of  Scribes  and  Pliarisees. 
"0  generation  of  vipers!"  was  not 
a  polite  style  of  address.  And  "the 
chaff"  in  "Jerusalem  and  all  Judea  " 
trembled  visibly  as,  in  thunder  tones, 
he  spoke  of  "unquenchable  fire." 

And  when  the  Lord  came  he    too 


How  Shall  We  Serve.         93 

used  earnest  words.  "Woe  unto  thee 
Chorazin !  woe  unto  thee,  Bethsaida ! 
for  if  the  mighty  works  which  were 
done  in  you  had  been  done  in  Tyra 
and  Sidon,  they  would  have  repented 
long  ago  in  sackcloth  and  ashes.  But 
I  say  unto  you,  that  it  shall  be  more 
tolerable  for  Tyre  and  Sidon  at  the 
day  of  judgment,  than  for  you.  And 
thou,  Capernaum,  which  art  exalted 
unto  heaven,  shall  be  brought  down  to 
hell ;  for  if  the  mighty  works  which 
have  been  done  in  thee,  liad  been  done 
in  Sodom,  it  would  have  remained  un- 
til this  day.  But  I  say  unto  you,  that 
it  shall  be  more  tolerable  for  the  land 
of  Sodom  in  the  day  of  judgment  than 
for  thee.'^ 

And  in  the  earnestness  of  love  he 
cries:  "Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  la- 
bor, and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will 
give  you  rest.     Take  my  yoke   upon 


94  Servants   of   Christ. 

you,  and  learn  of  me ;  for  I  am  meek 
and  lowly  in  heart ;  and  ye  shall  find 
rest  unto  your  souls.  For  my  yoke  is 
easy,  and  my  burden  is  light." 

And  in  the  earnestness  of  his  life, 
from  the  wilderness  where  "  the  Spirit 
driveth  him,"  to  the  cross  where  he 
cried  ;  "  It  is  finished  !  "  we  see  an  in- 
tensity and  directness  of  purpose  which 
it  is  well  for  us  to  study.  For  "from 
the  days  of  John  the  Baptist,  until 
now,  the  kingdom  of  heaven  sufFereth 
violence,  and  the  violent  take  it  by 
force."  The  Christian  life  is  an  ear- 
nest one  from  beginning  to  end.  At 
the  first  step  we  hear:  "Strive — ago- 
nize— to  enter  into  the  strait  gate." 
And  having  passed  in  through  tlie 
wicket  gate,  we  have  these  earnest  di- 
rections from  the  zealous  apostle  Paul : 
"Finally,  my  brethren,  be  strong  in 
the    Lord,    and   in    the    power    of  his 


How  Shall  We  Serve.         95 

might.  Put  on  the  whole  armor  of 
God,  that  ye  may  be  able  to  stand 
against  the  wiles  of  the  devil.  For  we 
wrestle  not  against  flesh  and  blood, 
but  against  principalities,  against  pow- 
ers, against  the  rulers  of  the  darkness 
of  this  world,  against  spiritual  wicked- 
ness in  high  places.  Wherefore  take 
unto  you  the  whole  armor  of  God, 
that  3'e  may  be  able  to  withstand  in 
the  evil  day,  and,  having  done  all,  to 
stand.  Stand  therefore,  having  your 
loins  girt  about  with  truth,  and  having 
on  the  breastplate  of  righteousness ; 
and  your  feet  shod  with  the  prepara- 
tion of  the  Gospel  of  peace  ;  above  all, 
taking  the  shield  of  faith,  wherewith 
ye  shall  be  able  to  quench  all  the  fiery 
darts  of  the  wicked.  And  take  the 
helmet  of  salvation,  and  the  sword  of 
the  Spirit,  which  is  the  word  of  God : 
pra^dng    always    with    all    prayer    and 


96  Servants  of  Christ. 

supplication,  and  watching  thereunto 
with  all  perseverance  and  supplication 
for  all  saints." 

And  not  only  ''for  all  saints/'  but 
for  all  sinners  must  we  "watch  and' 
pray."  Not  only  must  we  fight  our 
own  unseen  foes,  but  we  must  also 
help  others  to  fight.  "We  must  go  with 
earnest,  loving  words  to  those  who  are 
straying  from  the  truth,  and  seek  to 
bring  them  back.  Yes,  earnestness 
will  pervade  our  whole  lives,  if  "we 
have  the  mind  of  Christ." 

"And  whatsoever  ye  do,  do  it  heart- 
ily, as  to  the  Lord." 

When  the  Board  of  Missions  of  the 
Methodist  Church  was  first  consider- 
ing the  feasibility  of  establishing  a  mis- 
sion in  China,  the  Rev.  J.  D.  Col- 
lins of  Michigan  offered  himself  for 
the  work.  For  lack  of  funds  he  was 
rejected. 


How  Shall  We  Serve.         97 

Upon  hearing  the  decision  of  the 
Board  Mr.  CoUins  wrote  to  Bishop 
Janes  to  engage  him  passage  "before 
the  mast";  saying  his  own  strong  arm 
should  pull  him  to  China,  and  support 
him  after  arriving  there. 

This  resolve  led  the  Board  to  estab- 
lish the  China  Mission. 

"One  needs  sometimes  no  common 
measure  of  grace,"  wrote  Dr.  Guthrie, 
"not  to  be  weary  in  well  doing.  Yet 
it  is  not  the  '  successful '  but  the  '  good 
and  faithful  servant'  whom  our 'Lord 
commends.  Christ's  service  was  con- 
stant; so  must  be  ours.  'ISTeither  is 
this  a  work  of  one  day  or  two.'" 

"Wist  ye  not  that  I  must  be  about 
my  Father's  business?"  "And  in  the 
day-time  he  was  teaching  in  the  tem- 
ple ;  and  at  night  he  went  out,  and 
abode  in  the  mount  that  is  called  the 
mount  of  Olives."     He  could  not  rest 


98  Servants  of  Christ. 

while  the  bhnd  waited  to  receive  their 
sight,  and  the  lame  halted  on  their 
crutches :  w^iile  the  ears  of  the  deaf 
were  stopped,  and  dead  sinners  lay 
bound  hand  and  foot. 

"We  can  not,"  says  Farrar,  in  his 
valuable  book,  "imitate  Him  in  the 
occupations  of  His  ministry,  nor  can 
we  even  remotely  reproduce  in  our 
own  experience  the  external  circum- 
stances of  His  life  during  tliose  three 
crowning  years." 

Nevertheless  the  Master  says:  "Fol- 
low me."  The  blind,  the  lame,  the 
deaf,  the  dead,  are  near  us,  waiting 
our  touch.  "In  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Nazareth "  let  us  constant- 
ly seek  their  good.  Our  ministering 
must  not  be  spasmodic :  the  Christian's 
whole  life  must  be  "service  for  God" 
and  others:  "Here  a  little  and  there  a 
httle." 


How  Shall  We  Serve.         99 

•*No  act  falls  fruitless;  none  can  tell 
How  vast  its  power  may  be." 

And  if,  for  a  moment,  we  relax  our 
vigilance,  who  can  tell  what  the  result 
may  be  f  "  No  observation  for  three 
days "  on  the  Schiller ;  you  well  re- 
member the  result.  Had  one  cast  of 
the  lead  been  taken  before  the  course 
was  altered  it  would  have  revealed 
danger,  for  there  was  an  error  in  their 
reckoning.  But  on,  on,  into  the  jaws 
of  death  two  i<undred  and  fifty-four 
passengers  were  plunged.  In  vain 
then  the  life-boats,  the  life-belts,  the 
life-buoys.     Death  reigned! 

Thousands  are  rushing  down  to  death; 
and  shall  we  relax  our  diligence?  ^N'o: 
let  our  service  be  immediate,  personal, 
cheerful,  earnest,  constant:  "always 
abounding  in  the  work  of  the  Lord.'' 


YII. 

NECESSABY    TEAINING. 


i'Vt/'V/, 


HEN  the  king  of  Babylon  had 
chosen  the  noble  youth  of  Is- 
rael he  "appointed  them  a  daily  pro- 
vision of  the  king's  meat,  and  of  the 
wine  which  he  drank:  so  nourishing 
them  three  years,  that  at  the  end 
thereof  they  might  stand  before  the 
king." 

-  The  preparatory  course  prescribed 
by  the  king  seemed  of  little  worth  to 
these  servants  of  the  living  Grod ;  and 
they  sought  and  obtained  plainer  diet, 
and  a  better  preparation  from  the  Lord. 
Rejecting  the  king's  wine,  they  were 


Xecessary  Training.         101 

better  fitted  to  drink  of  the  fountains 
of  knowledge :  and  their  diet  of  pulse 
left  them  ' '  fairer  and  fatter  in  flesh 
than  all  the  children  which  did  eat  the 
portion  of  the  king's  meat/'  And, 
best  of  all,  when  they  came  before  the 
king  for  examination,  they  were  found 
to  be  "ten  times  better  than  all  the 
magicians  and  astrologers  that  were  in 
all  his  realm." 

Before  inquiring  what  preparation 
you  require  for  Christ's  service,  let  us 
ask ;  Do  you  really  desire  it  ?  Sol- 
emnly we  ask  the  question:  Do  you 
want  to  stand  among  the  workers ;  or 
are  you  satisfied  with  the  hope  of  your 
own  salvation,  and  willing  to  leave  to 
others  the  grand  work  of  rescuing  a 
world  of  perishing  sinners  ? 

Presuming  that  your  honest  desire 
is  to  serve,  we  will  give  a  few  plain 
hints  about  the  trainhig. 


102         Servants  of  Christ. 

Neglect  of  the  study  of  the  Bible 
is  one  great  cause  of  the  unfitness  of 
Christians  for  the  Lord's  work.  It  is 
out  of  the  Scripture  that  the  man  of 
God  is  "  thoroughly  furnished  unto  all 
good  works."  This  has  been  striking- 
ly illustrated  in  the  case  of  Mr.  Moody. 
"Whence  hath  this  man  this  wisdom?" 
It  has  been  said  of  him  "he  talks  Bi- 
ble, and  pra3^s  Bible."  One  marked 
result  of  his  labors  in  Chicago  before  he 
went  abroad,  was  a  greatly  increased 
use  of  the  Bible  among  Christians. 

^N'othing  can  excuse  neglect  of  Bi- 
ble reading.  "Want  of  time,"  so  often 
pleaded,  is  no  excuse:  for  one  verse  at 
a  time  carefully  and  prayerfully  pon- 
dered, will  soon  "thoroughly  furnish" 
you.  If  at  any  time  you  are  too  busy 
to  sit  down  to  a  meal,  you  take  a  por- 
tion of  food  in  your  hand  and  hasten 
on  your  way.     So  if  you  are  too  busy 


Necessary  Training.         103 

to  sit  down  and  read  a  chapter,  read 
a  verse,  and  go  to  your  work  carry- 
ing your  Testament  in  your  pocket. 
Whenever  a  leisure  moment  comes 
take  out  your  Testament  and  read  an- 
other verse. 

Bat  what  is  the  business  that  so 
fully  occupies  you?  Is  it  more  im- 
portant than  God's  work?  "I  have 
a  family  to  support,"  answers  one: 
''and  if  any  man  provide  not  for  his 
own — "  Yes,  yes,  we  have  heard 
that  text  before.  And  in  order  that 
you  may  provide  for  your  own,  es- 
pecially for  those  of  your  own  house- 
hold, we  counsel  you  to  study  the 
Scriptures,  so  that,  like  a  good  house- 
holder, you  may  bring  forth  out  of 
this  treasury  things  new  and  old ;  "for 
doctrine,  for  reproof,  for  correction,  for 
instruction  in  righteousness." 

At  the  close  of  that  little  meeting, 


104        Servants  of  Christ^ 

before  referred  to,  held  fifteen  years 
ago,  Mr.  Moody  said  to  a  friend:  "I 
have  got  only  one  talent,  I  have  no 
education :  but  I  love  the  Lord  Jesus, 
and  I  want  to  do  something  for  him. 
I  want  you  to  pray  for  meP 

And  it  has  been  said  wherever  he 
goes  he  summons  people  to  pray. 
A  grand  impulse  to  prayer  pervades 
Grreat  Britain.  "  Ministers  pray  as 
they  never  prayed  before.  Laymen 
pray  who  never  prayed  before."  An 
intelligent  observer  of  this  wonderful 
movement  writes:  "First,  Christians 
have  learned  to  love  one  another  and 
to  work  together  for  one  common  ob- 
ject: and,  second,  we,  have  learned  to 
pray  moreJ^ 

Writing  to  an  invalid  friend  who  had 
sent  him  the  life  of  Edward  Forbes,  the 
naturahst,  Dr.  Guthrie  says:  "Great 
and  famous  as  Forbes  was,  my  dear 


'  Necessary  Training.         105 

friend,  you  can  do  more  good  by  your 
prayers,  shut  up  to  your  house,  and 
often  to  your  chamber,  than  he  did, 
or  Could  do,  by  all  his  pursuits  and 
discoveries :  and  that  is  comforting  and 
cheering  to  you.  '  Prayer  moves  the 
Hand  that  moves  the  world.' '' 

"I  once  knew  a  little  cripple,"  said 
Mr.  Moody,  "who  lay  upon  her  death- 
bed. She  had  given  herself  to  God, 
and  was  distressed  only  because  she 
could  not  work  actively  for  him  among 
the  lost.  Her  clergyman  visited  her, 
and  hearing  her  complaint,  advised  her 
to  write  down  the  names  of  those  she 
wished  to  see  turned  to  God,  and  offer 
prayer  for  them.  Soon  a  great  relig- 
ious interest  sprang  up  in  that  village, 
and  the  child  eagerly  asked  the  names 
of  the  saved.  A  few  weeks  later  she 
died,  and  under  her  pillow  was  found 
a  paper  bearing  the  names  of  fifty-six 


106         Servants  of  Christ.  > 

persons,  every  one  of  whom  had  m 
the  revival  been  converted.  By  each 
name  was  a  httle  cross,  by  which  the 
poor  crippled  saint  had  checked  ofTthe 
names  of  the  converts  as  they  were 
reported  to  her." 

At  Blackgang  on  the  Isle  of  Wight 
the  traveller  sees  a  chapel  for  worship, 
with  this  inscription :  "Asked  of  God 
July,  1873.  Received  Decem.,  1873." 
And  this  is  its  history.  A  family 
returning  from  India  sought  a  home 
prayerfully.  "Go  to  Blackgang,"  ad- 
vised an  evangelist,  "and  the  Lord  will 
give  you  souls  not  a  few.  Ask  hun- 
dreds, and  he  will  give  them." 

The  population  was  scanty  and  scat- 
tered, and  the  field  seemed  too  small 
to  warrant  so  great  a  harvest :  never- 
theless they  went.  When  they  sought 
land  upon  which  to  erect  a  chapel  the 
principal  man  to  whom  they  applied 


•  ]S"ECESSARY  Training.         107 

said :  You  can  not  buy  a  foot  of  land 
for  the  purpose  within  a  mile  of  this 
place.  They  said  not  another  word, 
but  straightway  spread  the  matter  be- 
fore the  Lord :  and  the  result  was 
the  property-holder  came,  offering  the 
ground,  and  promising  to  build  for 
them,  allowing  them  ten  years  in 
which  to  make  their  payments." 

And  it  came  to  pass  that  this  god- 
ly family  by  their  prayers  and  their 
labors,  ' '  did  turn  many  away  from  in- 
iquity." 

"Call  upon  me."  "I  will  call  upon 
thee ;  for  thou  wilt  answer  me." 

"I  watched  once  with  interest," 
writes  Dr.  Arnot,  "the  operations  of  a 
brick-maker  in  a  field  of  clay.  There 
was  great  agility  in  his  movements. 
He  wrought  by  piece,  and  the  more 
he  turned  out  the  higher  was  his  pay. 
His  body  moved  like  a  machine.     His 


108         Servants   of   Christ. 

task  for  the  time  was  simply  to  raise 
a  quantity  of  clay  from  a  lower  to  a 
higher  level,  by  means  of  a  spade.  He 
threw  up  one  spadeful,  and  then  he 
dipped  his  tool  in  a  pail  of  water  that 
stood  by.  After  every  spadeful  of  clay 
there  was  a  dip  in  the  water.  The  op- 
eration of  dipping  the  spade  occu- 
pied almost,  if  not  altogether,  as  much 
time  as  the  raising  of  the  clay.  My 
first  thought  was,  if  he  should  dispense 
w^ith  these  apparently  useless  baptisms, 
he  might  perform  almost  double  the 
amount  of  work.  My  second  thought 
was  wiser ;  on  reflection  I  saw  that 
if  he  had  attempted  to  continue  the 
work  without  the  alternate  washings, 
the  clay  would  have  stuck  to  the  tool, 
and  his  progress  would  have  been  al- 
together arrested.  Right  well  did  the 
skilful  workman  know  that  to  plunge 
his  instrument  in  water  every  time  it 


^^Tecessary  Training.         109 

was  used,  furthered  and  did  not  hin- 
der his  work.  Indeed,  it  was  this  that 
made  his  work  possible.'' 

The  secret  of  our  power  is  close 
union  with  Christ.  "  Give  me  a  great 
thought,''  said  the  dying  Herder  to  his 
son,  "that  I  may  quicken  mj'self  with 
it."  "  Give  me  a  great  thought,"  cries 
the  Christian  worker,  ' '  that  I  may  be 
strengthened  for  more  earnest  work." 
And  we  can  think  of  none  greater  than 
this  ;  "  One  in  us." 

•'Union  is  strength,"  ''beloved  in 
the  Lord." 

In  Luke's  simple  tribute  to  Barna- 
bas, we  find  the  secret  of  his  power ; 
"For  he  was  a  good  man,  and  full  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  and  of  faith."  Xo 
wonder  he  was  chosen  by  the  church 
at  Jerusalem  to  share  personally  in  the 
joy  that  had  come  to  many  in  Antioch. 
"We  see  a  natural  connection  between 


110         Servants  of  Christ. 

his  character  and  the  results  recorded 
by  Luke  in  the  same  verse:  "and  much 
people  was  added  unto  the  Lord : "  for 
the  influence  of  good  men  is  felt  wher- 
ever they  go.  Though  before  his  com- 
ing "a  great  number  believed,  and 
turned  unto  the  Lord,"  yet  by  his 
coming  no  doubt  many  others  were  in- 
fluenced, while  he  ''exhorted  them  all, 
that  with  purpose  of  heart  they  would 
cleave  unto  the  Lord." 

"Ye  shall  receive  power  after  that 
the  Holy  Ghost  is  come  upon  you." 
"All  power  is  given  unto  me,"  says 
Jesus.  Yes,  "God  hath  spoken  once; 
twice  have  I  heard  this :  that  power 
belongeth  unto  God."  Or  as  the  verse 
might  more  correctly  be  rendered ; 
"Once  hath  God  spoken:  these  two 
thitigs  have  I  heard."  What  are  these 
two  things?  First,  that  strength  is  the 
Lord's.     Second,   that   he   is   the    ori- 


Necessary  Training.         Ill 

gin  of  power.  "The  Lord  will  give 
strength  unto  his  people." 

If  3^ou  have  been  "baptized  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,"  cry  unto  him 
in  the  words,  but  not  the  spirit,  of  Si- 
mon;  "Give  me  also  this  power." 

"Tarry  ye  in  the  city  of  Jerusalem, 
until  ye  be  endued  with  power  from 
on  high,"  was  Jesus'  parting  command. 
And  the  record  tells  us:  "Then  re- 
turned they  unto  Jerusalem,  from  the 

mount  called  Olivet," 

"and  when  they  were  come  in,  they 
went  up  into  an  upper  room,"  .  .  . 
"and  continued  with  one  accord  in 
prayer  and  supplication."  "They  con- 
tinued in,"  literally,  loere  strong  in  or 
towards.  On  the  mount  "  they  wor- 
shipped : "  in  the  upper  room  they  wait- 
ed: and  then  in  the  world  they  worked. 
Long  ago  they  returned  to  worship  on 
the   holy   mount   of  God.     They  rest 


112         Servants  of  Christ. 

from  their  labors,  but  their  work  goes 
on :  for  the  church  to-day  is  the  great- 
est power  in  the  world,  and  that  upper 
room  contained  the  germ. 

At  the  Master's  feet  the  disciples  re- 
ceived their  preparatory  training,  and 
at  length  were  baptized  with  the  Holy 
Ghost. 

"  Tarry  ye."  In  the  upper  room  of 
secret  devotion  beg  on  bended  knee 
for  the  power  you  need.  ' '  The  vessels 
must  first  be  filled;  and  then  they  bear 
about  and  spread  the  blessed  Name 
that  fills  them."  "Quicken  me  in  thy 
way:"  ''then  will  I  teach  transgressors 
thy  ways ;  and  sinners  shall  be  con- 
verted unto  thee." 

"Put  them  in  mind  to  be  ready  to 
every  good  work." 


YIII. 

NATUEE    OF    OUE    WOEK. 

^RULY  the  work  to  which  God  calls 
^^  us  is  a  great  work,  though  the 
quietness  in  which  it  is  done  often 
causes  its  greatness  to  be  overlooked. 
You  go  softly  to  your  closet,  and,  hav- 
ing shut  the  door,  pray  to  your  "Fa- 
ther which  is  in  secret,"  and  in  answer 
to  that  prayer  a  soul  is  brought  in 
penitence  to  Jesus'  feet.  You  kneel 
in  weakness  to  supplicate  power ;  and 
then  you  pass  out  into  the  world  to 
slip  a  little  note  or  tract  into  the  hand 
of  one  you  meet,  or  to  whisper  to 
some  one  of  the   Saviour's   love.     If 


114         Servants  of  Christ. 

you  are  rich  you  quietly  send  money 
even  to  the  ends  of  the  earth,  not  for- 
getting those  at  home ;  and  the  gift 
speeds  the  time  when  ''the  earth  shall 
be  filled  with  the  knowledge  of  the 
glory  of  the  Lord,  as  the  waters  cover 
the  sea."  If  you  are  a  mother  you 
train  your  little  ones  "without  ob- 
servation." The  Sabbath-school  teach- 
er in  the  class,  like  the  mother  at 
home,  may  work  "not  with  observa- 
tion," but  "the  days  will  come"  when 
this  work  shall  be  revealed  as  well  as 
rewarded. 

Not  long  ago,  while  within  a  stone's 
throw  of  the  Capitol  building  in  Al- 
bany, we  were  told  three  hundred  and 
ninety  men  were  at  work  on  the  far- 
ther side  of  the  building.  But  though 
within  sight  we  were  not  within  sound, 
for  the  wind  carried  all  sound  in  the 
opposite  direction. 


Nature  of  Our  Work.       115 

The  sound  of  the  Lord's  workmen 
is  wafted  directly  to  heaven,  and  not 
one  stroke  of  the  spiritual  tools  is  lost 
upon  the  ear  of  Him  who  appoints  "to 
every  man  his  work." 

Realizing  in  some  degree  the  impor- 
tance of  the  work,  let*  us  give  our- 
selves more  unreservedly  to  it,  and  say 
to  those  who  would  call  us  to  join 
them  in  less  important  pursuits;  "I 
am  doing  a  great  work,  so  that  I  can 
not  come  down ;  why  should  the  work 
cease,  whilst  I  leave  it,  and  come  down 
to  you?" 

It  is  a  good  work. 

''  Ours  is  a  good  work,"  said  an  old 
life-boat  man,  "a  work  worth  dying 
in.  We  save  from  five  hundred  to 
a  thousand  lives  every  year.  That 
would  be  a  work  to  be  proud  of,  if  it 
meant  nothing  more  than  bare  lives 
saved;  though,  of  course,  it  does  mean 


116         Servants  of  Christ. 

more;  it  means  thousands  of  wives 
saved  from  being  made  widows,  and 
tens  of  thousands  of  poor  children 
from  being  fatherless.  There's  hardly 
a  man  breathing  that  wouldn't  help 
the  life-boat  cause  in  whatever  way  he 
could,  if  he  had  once  heard  the  cries 
that  we  often  hear  when  going  to  a 
wreck;  or  the  'God  bless  you'  of 
those  whose  lives  we  have  saved." 

"The  Redeemer  has  instituted  the 
entire  church  as  a  simple,  soul-saving 
organization : "  writes  one  of  his  faith- 
ful ministers.*  "It  is  as  if  every  body 
lived  at  a  life-boat  station,  and  slept 
with  mind  alert  and  ear  open  for  a  hu- 
man cry  amid  the  roar  of  the  eternal 
sea." 

"There  is  sorrow  on  the  sea." 

It  is  a  paying  w^ork. 

*  Eev.  Charles  S.  Kobinson,  D.D. 


Nature  of  Our  Work.       117 

"What  business  are  you  in  now?" 
asked  one  man  of  another,  as  they 
met  after  years  of  separation.  "  I  am 
working  for  Christ,"  was  the  reply. 
"An  honest,  but  not  a  paying  work," 
remarked  the  other.  "You  will  need 
to  work  for  the  world  as  well  as  re- 
ligion. You  always  said  you  meant 
to  be  a  rich  man,  and  an  influential 
man;  but  you  have  started  wrong  for 
that.  Large  drafts  upon  your  time, 
your  purse,  and  the  sacrifice  of  many 
plans,  are  demanded  by  this  religion  of 
yours." 

No  doubt  these  views  are  shared  by 
many  who  would  hesitate  to  express 
them  so  plainl}^  But  listen  to  the 
better  language  of  another:  "The 
true  life  is  not  to  eat  and  drink,  to 
seek  with  painful  effort  to  add  another 
thousand  to  your  pile  of  dollars,  to 
chase   breathlessly  the  thistle-tops   of 


118         Servants  of  Christ. 

earthly  pleasures  blown  before  us  by 
the  breeze.  What  intelligent  husband- 
man will  plant  a  tree  with  its  top  in 
the  ground  and  its  roots  in  the  air,  and 
expect  it  to  flourish  and  bear  fruit? 
And  yet  he  who  makes  money-getting 
and  worldly  pleasure-seeking  the  chief 
aims  of  this  immortal  being,  expecting 
to  gather  substantial  happiness  there- 
from, does  a  ten- thousand-fold  more 
foolish  and  unreasonable  thing."  * 

Hear  the  words  of  the  wise,  and  ap- 
ply thine  heart  unto  them.  The  lips 
that  uttered  them  speak  no  longer  the 
language  of  earth,  for  William  Arnot, 
servant  of  Christ,  has  passed  to  his 
rest  and  reward.  Could  he  once  more 
speak  to  djdng  men,  think  you  he 
would  speak  less  earnestly  ? 

Wherefore   do  3'ou  labor  "for  that 

*  Dr.  Arnot. 


Nature  of  Our  Work.        119 

which  satisfieth  not  ? "  Come  enter 
the  service  of  Christ,  and  Uve  the 
true  hfe. 

When  you  have  received  power  from 
on  high  lay  your  hand  upon  the  one 
nearest  you.  Remember  the  old  com- 
mission, "Beginning  at  Jerusalem." 
"If  it  do  not  begin  at  home,"  writes 
Dr.  Arnot,  "it  will  not  convert  the 
world.  If  it  essay  to  reach  the  hea- 
then by  leaping  over  the  many  ranks 
of  unslain  enemies  to  Christ  in  our 
own  hearts,  and  many  ranks  of  unre- 
proved  blasphemers  of  his  name  on 
our  own  streets,  it  will  never  reach 
its  distant  mark  among  the  heathen, 
or  it  will  reach  the  mark  with  a  force 
already  spent,  lacking  power  to  pene- 
trate the  armor  in  which  idolatry  is 
encased." 

"We  must  hasten  to  go  out  to  the 
uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  with  our 


120         Servants  of  Christ. 

message ;  but  we  must  let  the  men 
who  are  beside  us  feel  the  glow  of 
our  zeal  as  it  passes  by." 

And  thus  the  Lord's  words  shall  be 
fulfilled:  "  Ye  shall  be  witnesses  unto 
me,  both  in  Jerusalem,  and  in  all  Ju- 
dea,  and  in  Samaria,  and  unto  the  ut- 
termost part  of  the  earth." 

The  high-sounding  question :  "How 
shall  we  reach  the  masses  ? "  has  been 
well  answered:  "Don't  try.  Save  the 
one  nearest  to  you." 

Permit  a  familiar  illustration. 

The  fire  is  burning  brightly,  shed- 
ding its  cheerful  glow  into  every  cor- 
ner of  the  room.  Suddenly  there  is  a 
movement  among  the  upper  coals,  and 
a  dead,  black  mass  falls  upon  the  liv- 
ing one.  The  brightness  is  suddenly 
dimmed.  We  fear  the  fire  will  be  ex- 
tinguished. But  wait  awhile.  Soon 
the  genial  glow  and  welcome  warmth 


Nature  of  Our  Work.        121 

returns;  for  every  live  coal  has  touched 
its  fellow ;  and  now  the  whole  mass 
barns  brightly.  Which  having  seen, 
we  said,  "  Here  is  a  lesson  for  Christ's 
living  ones." 

Into  the  harbor  of  New  York  come 
daily  vessels  crowded  with  living 
freight.  The  great  majority  of  those 
who  come  to  our  shores  from  all  lands 
under  the  sun  are  spiritually  dead.  If 
all  these  could  be  brought  into  close 
contact  with  living,  glowing  Christians 
what  would  be  the  effect  ? 

The  Christians  "scattered  abroad" 
by  the  persecution  that  arose  "against 
the  church  which  was  at  Jerusalem," 
"went  everywhere  preaching  the  word." 
Prudence  would  have  counselled  silence, 
lest  the  mighty  hand  of  the  unright- 
eous persecutor  fall  again  upon  them. 
But  they  could  not  help  speaking  the 
things  which  they  had  seen  and  heard. 


122         Servants  of  Christ. 

"These  holy  fugitives  were  Hke  so 
many  lamps  lighted  by  the  fire  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  spreading  everywhere  the 
sacred  flame  by  which  they  themselves 
had  been  illuminated." 

Worshipping  in  a  little  church  one 
beautiful  Sabbath  during  the  past  sum- 
mer, we  were  reminded  of  that  Thes- 
salonica  scene  enacted  so  long  ago. 
The  place  was  one  of  those  far-off, 
quiet  retreats  where  Christians  and 
others  go  for  rest  and  refreshment 
during  the  summer's  heat.  The  pas- 
tor's text  was  the  old  troubled  cry: 
"These  that  have  turned  the  world 
upside  down  are  come  hither  also." 

Strangers  from  the  hotels,  arrayed 
in  rich  garments  of  the  latest  fashion, 
had  crowded  into  the  little  church 
until  it  was  well  filled ;  and  the  text 
caused  a  smile  to  pass  over  the  audi- 
ence.    But  sober   thoughts  soon  pos- 


Nature  of  Our  Work.        123 

sessed  me  as  I  reviewed  the  old  scene, 
and  God  forgive  me  if  harsh  thoughts 
found  a  place  while  I  contrasted  that 
scene  with  the  present,  and  reflected 
how  little  good  would  be  accomplished 
by  the  coming  of  so  many  Christians 
to  that  village. 

"  So  many  people  leave  their  Suri- 
days  in  the  city  I  think  every  day  is 
Monday  here,"  writes  one  from  the 
sea-shore.  "  The  bathing  master  says 
the  boarders  make  him  open  his  houses, 
and  he  must  be  there  to  take  care  of 
them.  I  heard  him  say :  '  Why  these 
people  know  so  much  more  than  I  do, 
and  they  say  it  is  right.'" 

''  Why  do  you  stay  here  by  your 
boat,  instead  of  going  to  church?"  we 
inquired  one  Sabbath  of  our  old  boat- 
man. "Oh!  the  people  expect  me," 
he  replied.  "  Let  them  be  disappoint- 
ed then  "  we  said.     But  while  we  talked 


124         Servants  of  Christ. 

to  him  about  things  unseen  and  eter- 
nal, his  watchful  eye  discerned  a  com- 
ing passenger,  and  interrupting  us,  his 
eager  voice  joined  with  the  other  boat- 
men in  the  cry:  "Want  to  cross  the 
river,  sir  ? " 

The  day  following  when  we  came  to 
cross  the  river  to  meet  our  home-re- 
turning train,  our  boatman's  place  was 
supplied  by  another.  It  mattered  lit- 
tle that  the  people  expected  him,  for  * 
the  strong  hand  of  sickness  held  him 
back.  Many  times  we  have  wondered 
whether  it  proved  a  sickness  unto  death; 
and  if  so,  whether  the  poor  man  sought 
the  help  of  One  mighty  to  save,  before 
he  touched  the  cold  waters  of  the  river 
of  death. 

"  Some  people,"  says  George  McDon- 
ald, "  accuse  me  of  being  too  prone  to 
turn  my  stories  into  sermons.  They 
forget    that    I    have    janother    Master 


Nature  of  Our  Work.        125 

than  the  pubhc,  and  I  must  serve  him 
first." 

A  correspondent  of  the  "Smiday 
School  Times "  desires  a  report  from 
the  multitude  of  Sunday-school  work- 
ers who  have  been  spending  their  va- 
cations in  the  country.  "Reports  of 
specific  work/'  adds  the  Editor,  "with 
practical  results,  would  be  welcomed," 
and  doubtless  would  prompt  some  who 
were  inactive  this  year  to  do  better 
another  season." 

Two    "active    workers''    from    Dr. 

• 's   flourishing   Sabbath    school   in 

New  York,  when  asked  one  Sabbath 
last  summer  to  go  to  Sabbath  school, 
replied,  "Xo,  we  have  enough  of  that 
home." 

Perhaps  they  did  need  rest.  But  is 
it  such  a  heavy  burden  to  spend  an 
hour  in  Bible  teaching?  Is  it  very 
tiresome  to  meet  other  Christians  in 


126         Servants  of  Christ. 

the  social  prayer-meeting,  and  help 
them  by  ofFermg  prayer  or  joming  in 
the  singing?  If  you  can  do  neither, 
can  you  not  at  least  help  by  your 
presence  ? 

"  How  much  I  thank  you  for  your 
valuable  gift,"  writes  one  in  acknowl- 
edgment of  a  few  books  and  picture 
cards  for  the  Sabbath  school.  "  Such 
expressions  of  interest  and  sympathy 
are,  I  assure  you,  very  grateful  to  us, 
deprived  as  we  are,  almost  entirely,  of 
any  fellowship  with  Christian  churches. 
You  who  enjoy  it  so  fully  have  yet 
to  learn  the  value  of  such  pleasant 
remembrances." 

This  is  a  matter  deserving  the  seri- 
ous consideration  of  every  city  Chris- 
tian. Coming  from  flourishing  churches 
and  schools,  where  new  methods  are  in 
operation,  and  where  every  advantage 
of  experience  and  intelligence  combine 


N'ature  of  Our  Work.        127 

to  help  the  work,  who  can  estimate 
the  good  that  they  can  do  by  their  liv- 
ing presence,  even  for  one  Sabbath,  in 
feeble  and  isolated  churches?  Sym- 
path}^  cheering  words,  judicious  hints, 
a  few  books  for  the  Sunday  school, 
how  acceptable  and  timely! 

''Why  do  Christians  so  often  leave 
their  religion  behind  them  when  they 
come  from  home?"  asks  one.  And  Dr. 
Arnot,  simpl}^  but  sorrowfully  gives  the 
following  solution  :  "In  these  cases, 
as  the  result  proves,  the  religion  was 
an  external  thing.  It  was  of  the  na- 
ture of  a  bondage."  Remove  the  cords 
of  home  restraint,  and  every  man  goes 
to  his  own. 

Paul  seemed  to  find  his  rest  in 
change  of  place.  He  really  did  turn 
things  upside  down  when  he  visited 
any  place.  It  did  very  little  good  for 
the  timid  brethren  to  hurry  him  away 


128         Servants   of   Christ. 

from  Thessalonica,  for  in  Berea  he  lost 
no  time  preaching  the  word.  Then 
they  hurried  him  out  of  Berea,  and 
changed  his  place,  but  not  his  work : 
for  there  also  "disputed  he  in  the 
synagogue  with  the  Jews,  and  with 
the  devout  persons,  and  in  the  market 
daily  with  them  that  met  with  him." 
The  record  does  not  tell  us  wheth- 
er friends  at  Thessalonica  and  Berea 
wasted  any  cautionary  words  upon 
"this  babbler."  As  far  as  we  know 
he  was  not  reminded  that  he  came  to 
that  place  for  his  health,  and  must 
needs  keep  out  of  the  synagogue  and 
market  place.  That  his  words  were 
foolishness  to  some  is  evident  by  the 
term  "babbler"  which  they  applied  to 
him,  for  the  original  is  "seed-picker," 
and  was  applied  to  crows,  and  also  to 
persons  who  pick  up  scraps  of  knowl- 
edge and   impart  them  to  others  re- 


Nature  of  Our  Work.       1^9 

gardless  of  occasion  or  connection.  So 
foolish  Paul  seemed  to  them  "because 
he  preached  unto  them  Jesus  and  the 
resurrection.'^ 


IX. 


WOMAN'S    WORK. 


^ET  me  speak  a  few  words  espe- 
cially to  the  handmaidens  of  the 
Lord. 

A  missionary  from  India  regards  the 
conversion  of  one  woman  as  equal  to 
the  conversion  of  twenty  men,  as  far 
as  their  influence  in  the  propagation  of 
Christianity  goes.  One  sex  can  never 
be  thoroughly  converted  without  the 
other ;  and  it  is  principally  owing  to 
the  opposition  of  wife  or  mother  that 
so  many  men  in  India  do  not  openly 
profess  a  religion  in  which  they  secret- 
ly believe. 


Woman's  Work.  131 

We  are  told  that  in  India  alone 
nearly  120,000,000  women  are  still 
held  in  a  state  of  physical,  intellectual, 
moral  and  spiritual  slavery ;  and  there 
is  but  one  power  in  the  world  that  can 
save  them,  and  that  is  the  G-ospel,  car- 
ried to  them  by  tender  hands,  and 
spokeiuto  them  in  the  loving  tones  of 
Christian  women. 

''Zenana  teaching,"  writes  one  of 
our  missionaries,  "  is  gradually  under- 
mining the  ignorance,  superstition,  and 
force  of  custom  which  holds  the  wom- 
en of  India  in  bondage.  And  where 
once  the  religious  spirit  in  women  is 
set  free  from  the  influences  which  at- 
tach it  to  Hinduism,  it  will  go  forth 
to  meet  Christ  far  more  directly  and 
boldly  than  it  does  in  men,  with  whom 
it  is  held  in  check  by  considerations  of 
interest  or  intellect.  We  can  not  pray 
too  sincerely,  or  labor  too  industrious- 


132         Servants  of  Christ. 

ly,  or  spend  too  freely,  that  this  most 
important  branch  of  missionary  work 
may  have  a  fuller  and  freer  scope." 

But  while  India  offers  a  wide  and 
inviting  field  for  the  exercise  of  wom- 
an's peculiar  power,  we  need  scarce- 
ly remind  you  that  ''the  field  is  the 
world."  "  Lift  up  your  eyes  and  look 
upon  the  fields "  that  are  far  away ; 
if  God  so  calls  you.  Lose  no  time 
following  the  honorable  company  of 
workers  who  have  "forsaken  houses, 
or  brethren,  or  sisters,  or  father,  or 
mother,  or  wife,  or  children,  or  lands." 
But  if  God  directs  your  eyes  rather  to 
the  near  home  fields,  hasten  gladly  in- 
to them,  for  they  too  "are  white  al- 
ready to  harvest."  You  can  not  find 
the  village,  or  hamlet,  or  house  even, 
too  small  for  the  exercise  of  your 
Cln'istian  working.  Close  by  your 
side  may  walk    one  who  needs   your 


Woman's  Work.  133 

ministrations    as    much    as    your    un- 
known sister  in  India. 

Many  a  disciple,  longing  to  carry 
the  Gospel  to  the  ends  of  the  earth, 
has  felt  the  lines  drawing  closer  and 
closer  around  her,  until  only  a  little, 
obscure  corner  of  the  vineyard  was  left 
to  her  hands.  And  then  while  mur- 
muring at  this  "strange  act"  of  the 
Lord,  suddenly  another  tightening  of 
the  lines  brought  her  upon  her  bed 
where  the  four  walls  seemed  to  press 
in  upon  her  soul,  causing  her  to  say ; 
"I  will  weep  bitterly,  labor  not  to 
comfort  me  ; "  "  for  it  is  a  day  of 
trouble,"  "and  of  perplexity:"  "it  is 
better  for  me  to  die  than  to  live  "  if  I 
can  not  work  for  Christ. 

But  look  again,  and  "behold,  a  lad- 
der set  up "  from  that  bed  of  pain 
"  and  the  top  of  it  reached  to  heaven  : 
and  behold,  the  angels  of  God  ascend- 


134        Servants  of  Christ. 

ing  and  descending  on  it."  And  from 
the  sides  of  this  sick  chamber  windows 
look  out  to  the  four  corners  of  the 
earth.  And  the  toilers  in  the  far-off 
fields  are  sustained  in  their  work  by 
the  prayers  of  one  who,  lying  help- 
less, has  wonderful  power  pleading 
with   God. 

Whose  work  is  the  greatest  ? 

And  in  eternity  will  they  not  re- 
joice together  ? 

If  only  the  spirit  of  true  consecra- 
tion to  Christ  rested  upon  all  Christian 
women  the  world  would  speedily  be 
converted  to  Christ. 

Listen  to  the  account  of  one  wom- 
an's work,  narrated  by  Rev.  Theoph- 
ilus  Larrioux,  of  France,  during  the 
meeting  of  the  Evangelical  Alliance  in 
New  York. 

Fifty  strangers  came  one  Commun- 
ion Sabbath  into  one   of  the  French 


Woman's  Work.  135 

Protestant  churches.  Whence  came 
they  ?    And  what  brought  them  there  ? 

Many  years  ago  a  Roman  Cathohc 
woman  left  her  native  village  and  be- 
came a  servant  in  the  family  of  a  Chris- 
tian pastor  in  Paris.  She  was  there 
converted,  and  after  a  few  years  of 
service  returned  to  her  native  village, 
where  all  the  inhabitants  were  Roman- 
ists or  infidels.  She  hastened  from 
house  to  house  to  tell  her  friends  and 
neighbors  what  God  had  done  for  her 
soul.  And  while  her  rejoicing  heart 
poured  out  its  gladness  in  a  message 
of  salvation  for  all,  God's  Spirit  de- 
scended, and  converts  multiplied,  until 
a  congregation  was  gathered,  and  a 
pastor  was  called. 

Among  the  believers  was  a  rich  man, 
who  formerly  had  been  proud  to  enroll 
himself  on  the  census-list  of  Paris  as 
"an  atheist."     This  man  built  a  chap- 


136         Servants  of  Christ. 

el  and  divine  services  were  held  in 
it.  After  three  or  four  Sabbaths  the 
French  government  closed  this  place 
of  worship,  and  the  converts,  unwilling 
to  lose  the  Sacrament,  walked  eight 
miles  to  the  nearest  church.  The  in- 
habitants of  this  village  have  now  re- 
solved to  abandon  Romanism. 

This  was  the  work  of  one  woman. 

The  latter-day  promise  is  beginning 
to  be  fulfilled ;  the  Lord  is  pouring 
out  His  spirit  "  upon  the  handmaids." 

"Behold  the  handmaid  of  the  Lord," 
let  each  Christian  woman  say.  "  True 
I  am  not  worthy,  and  know  not  why 

*  thou  shouldst  take  knowledge  of  me, 
seeing  I  am  a  stranger ; '  yet  if  thou 
dost  say ;  '  Abide  here  fast  by  my 
maidens,'    I    will   glean    in    this   field 

*  until  even.' " 

Yes,  and  in  the  twilight  of  life,  when 
my  days  of  active  service  are  over,  I 


Woman's  Work.  137 

will  kneel  among  the  gleaners,  and  try 
to  strengthen  their  hearts  with  the  old 
field  salutation;  "The  Lord  be  with 
you,"  thus  ever  reminding  them  of 
their  Strong  Helper.  Lifting  my  trem- 
bling hands  to  heaven  I  will  tell  of  the 
faithfulness  of  the  Lord  "  to  the  gener- 
ation following.*' 

"  My  soul  doth  magnify  the  Lord," 
"for  he  hath  regarded  the  low  estate 
of  his  •'  handmaidens,  lifting  women 
from  the  degradation  of  heathen  servi- 
tude, and  honoring  them  with  service 
in  the  household  of  faith :  graciously 
permitting  them  to  minister  to  him 
while  he  suffered  in  the  flesh,  and  now 
allowing  them  to  do  honorable  work 
in  his  church.  "I  have  chosen  you, 
and  ordained  you." 

When  aged  Anna  saw  her  Lord  in 
the  temple  she  hastened  to  speak  of 
him  "to  all  them  that  looked  for  re- 


138         Servants  of  Christ. 

demption  in  Jerusalem."  And  when 
Mary  Magdalene  received  her  commis- 
sion to  preach  she  lost  no  time,  but 
obedient  to  her  Lord's  command — "  Go 
to  my  brethren,  and  say  unto  them,  I 
ascend  unto  my  Father  and  your  Fa- 
ther, and  to  my  God  and  your  God  " — 
she  rejoiced  to  be  the  first  to  proclaim 
"Jesus,  and  the  Resurrection."  . 

Simeon  departed  in  peace  after  hav- 
ing seen  "  the  Lord's  Christ ;"  and  Pe- 
ter returned  to  his  fishing ;  but  Anna 
and  Mary  lost  no  time  ;  "  because  the 
King's  business  required  haste." 

What  shall  we  say  to  those  who 
see  no  beauty  in  the  Lord's  service  ? 
What  can  we  say  ?  Our  cry  is  unto 
the  Lord.  0  Lord !  open  the  blind 
eyes !  Bring  the  prisoners  of  the  world 
and  Satan  out  from  their  degrading 
servitude.  Let  not  thy  glory  be  given 
to  another,  neither  thy  praise  to  those 


Woman's  Work.  139 

who  deserve  it  not.  "  Bring  the  blind 
by  a  way  that  they  knew  not : ''  "  lead 
them  in  paths  that  they  have  not 
known : "  "  make  darkness  light  before 
them,  and  crooked  things  straight." 
"These  things"  "do  mito  them,  and 
not  forsake  them."  By  their  conduct 
now  they  say  to  worldly  pleasures,  "ye 
are  our  gods."  But  bring  thy  "  daugh- 
ters from  the  ends  of  the  earth ;  even 
every  one  that  is  called  by  "  th}^  name  ; 
for  hast  thou  not  created  them  for  thy 
glory  ?  Lead  them  every  one  to  say  : 
"The  Lord  our  God  will  we  serve, 
and  his  voice  will  we  obey."  "  0  our 
God,  hear  the  prayer  of  thy"  hand- 
maid. Let  even  these  simple  pages 
draw  some  into  more  willing,  active 
service  ;  that  it  may  be  mine  at  last  to 
stand  before  Thee  in  the  upper  Tem- 
ple, and  say;  "0  my  Lord,  I  am  the 
woman  that  stood  by  Thee  here,  pray- 


140         Servants  of  Christ. 

ing ;  and  the  Lord  hath  given  me  my 
petition.  Here  am  I,  and  my  Chris- 
tian sisters  and  co-workers,  whom  thou 
didst  make  '  wiUing  in  the  day  of  thy 
power.'" 

And  "unto  him  that  is  able  to  do 
exceeding  abundantly  above  all  that  we 
ask  or  think/'  "  unto  him  be  glory  in 
the  Church  by  Christ  Jesus  throughout 
all  ages,  world  without  end.     Amen." 

And  now,  lest  we  be  misunderstood, 
we  will  give  a  hint  to  whom  it  may 
concern :  and  we  borrow  from  the 
pages  of  "Urbane  and  His  Friends." 

Helvia,  an  ardent  young  disciple, 
considers  herself  called  to  work  among 
the  heathen  women  of  India.  To  Clau- 
dia, an  aged  and  devoted  servant  of 
Christ,  she  goes  with  her  plans. 

"Dear  Helvia,  do  you  consider  that 
your  going  on  a  mission  would  involve 
neglect  of  another  important  one?" 


Woman's  Work.  141 

"You  mean  father?  Yes,  I  have 
thought  of  that.  But  I  have  his  full 
consent." 

"No  doubt.  But  you  leave  him, 
just  as  he  is  entering  on  advancing 
years,  to  the  care  of  strangers.  Stran- 
gers will  minister  to  his  last  wants, 
and  close  his  dying  eyes." 

As  Claudia  goes  on  to  picture  the 
lonely  old  man  in  his  increasing  fee- 
bleness, at  first  Helvia  says:  "Dear 
Claudia,  you  are  the  last  person  to 
throw  cold  water  on  Christian  ser- 
vice : "  but  afterwards  she  confesses ; 
"you  have  put  things  before  me  in 
quite  a  new  light."  And  then  she 
adds  so  longingly:  "I  did  so  want 
to  be  a  blessing  to  many,  many,  many 
souls." 

*^  And  why  may  you  not?  Is  a  for- 
eign field  the  only  one  in  which  one 
can  work?" 


142         Servants  of  Christ. 

* '  I  had  such  a  fancy  for  this  partic- 
ular field,"  said  Helvia,  regretfully. 

''Ah,  but  we  have  to  give  up  our 
fancies,  and  do  what  God  pleases. 
And  you  can  find  any  number  of  use- 
ful occupations,  if  you  love  Christ,  and 
are  always  on  the  lookout  for  them." 

"I  do  love  him!  I  love  him  so 
that  I  hoped  he  would  trust  me  to  go 
and  talk  about  him  to — oh,  I  don't 
know  how  many  people !  " 

"Well,  are  there  no  heathen  in  our 
own  land  ? " 

"Yes,  there  are,  and  I'll  go  on  a 
mission  to  them ! "  said  Helvia,  bright- 
ening. "  I  don't  know  how  I  ever 
came  to  think  of  such  a  thing  as  leav- 
ing my  father.'' 

And  Helvia  never  went  to  India. 
In  the  quiet  routine  of  domestic  and 
social  life,  where  to  the  ordinary  eye 
she  appeared  to  be  little  more  than  a 


Woman's  Work.  143 

good  daughter  and  a  pleasant  friend, 
she  grew  stronger  daily  in  the  Lord 
and  in  the  power  of  his  might ;  and 
the  service  of  her  loving  heart  was  just 
as  precious  to  the  Master,  as  that  of 
her  more  conspicuous  sisters  on  the 
foreign  mission  field. 

** Forenoon,  and  afternoon,  and  night!    Forenoon, 
And  afternoon,  and  night !    Forenoon,  and — what ! 
The  empty  song  repeats  itself.     No  more  ? 
Yea,  that  is  life:  make  this  forenoon  sublime, 
This  afternoon  a  psalm,  this  night  a  prayer, 
And  Time  is  conquered,  and  thy  crown  is  won." 


X. 


THE    SPIRIT    IN    WHICH    WE    SERVE. 

^jTHE  acceptableness  of  our  service 
^^  depends  upon  the  spirit  that 
prompts  it. 

A  little  boy  who  had  plenty  of 
pennies,  dropped  one  into  the  mission- 
ary box,  laughing  as  he  did  so.  He 
had  no  thought  in  his  heart  about  Je- 
sus, the  heathen,  or  the  missionary. 
His  was  a  tin  penny. 

Another  boy  put  a  penny  in,  and  as 
he  did  so  looked  around  with  a  self- 
applauding  gaze,  as  if  he  had  done 
some   great   thing.     His   was   a   brass 


Spirit  in  which  We  Serve.    145 

penny.  It  was  not  the  gift  of  a  "low- 
ly heart,"  but  of  a  proud  heart. 

A  third  boy  gave  a  penny,  saying  to 
himself;  "I  suppose  I  must,  because 
all  the  others  do."  This  was  an  iron 
penny.  It  was  the  gift  of  a  cold,  hard 
heart. 

As  a  fourth  boy  dropped  his  penny 
in  the  box  he  shed  a  tear,  and  his 
heart  said  ;  "Poor  heathen!  I'm  sor- 
ry they  are  so  poor,  so  ignorant,  and 
so  miserable."  This  was  a  silver  pen- 
ny. It  was  the  gift  of  a  heart  full  of 
pity. 

But  there  was  one  scholar  who  gave 
his  penny  with  a  throbbing  heart,  say- 
ing; "For  thy  sake,  0  loving  Jesas.! 
I  give  this  penny."  This  was  a  golden 
penny,  because  it  was  the  gift  of  love. 

A  penny  is  a  small  thing  in  the  eyes 
of  the  world.  The  widow's  mite  was 
still   smaller..  "Christ  wants  a  heart 


146         Servants  of  Christ. 

beating  like  clock-work  for  him,"  and 
then  the  smallest  service  will  be  ac- 
cepted. 

"As  the  priest  shall  estimate  it,  so 
shall  it  stand." 

"Pure  religion  and  midefiled,"  writes 
one,*  "is  ministering,  not  being  minis- 
tered unto.  It  is  handing  over  the 
morning  paper  to  another  for  first  pe- 
rusal. It  is  vacating  a  pleasant  seat 
by  the  fire  for  one  who  comes  in 
chilled.  It  is  giving  up  the  most  rest- 
ful arm-chair  or  sofa-corner  for  one 
who  is  weary.  It  is  '  moving  up '  in 
the  pew  to  let  the  new-comer  sit  down 
by  the  entrance.  It  is  rising  from  your 
place  to  darken  the  blind  when  the 
sun's  ray  streams  in  too  brightly  upon 
some  face  in  the  circle.  It  is  giving 
your  own  comfort  and  convenience  ev- 

*  Kev.  A.  L.  Stone. 


Spirit  in  which  We  Serve.    147 

ery  time  for  the  comfort  and  conveni- 
ence of  another.  This  is  at  once  true 
courtesy  and  real  Christianity.  If  we 
mean  to  copy  the  spirit  of  the  Master, 
we  must  be  ready  in  every  relation  of 
life,  and  at  every  hour  of  the  day,  to 
give  up  being  waited  upon,  and  to 
practice  this  self-sacrificing,  beneficent 
and  ministering  graciousness  of  spirit 
and  conduct." 

' '  And  he  showed  us  how  he  had 
seen  an  angel  in  his  house." 

"  Their  sacrifice  shall  be  accepted  on 
mine  altar." 

We  have  somewhere  read  of  a  poor 
Arab  who  found  a  spring  of  water  in 
the  desert.  G-athering  up  some  of  the 
precious,  sparkling  water,  he  hastened 
to  bring  it  to  his  monarch.  Weary  and 
travel-stained  he  stood  at  length  before 
the  throne,  and  with  eager,  trembling 
hands  presented  his  offering. 


148         Servants  of  Christ. 

The  monarch  bowed  his  thanks,  and 
drank  with  pleasant  smile.  Courtiers 
crowded  round,  asking  to  taste  the 
wonderful  water ; .  but  the  king  for- 
bade their  touching  it  to  their  lips. 

The  child  of  the  desert  departed 
with  light  step  and  glad  heart:  and 
then  the  king  explained  the  reason 
why  he  would  allow  no  one  to  taste 
the  water.  During  the  long  journey  it 
had  become  impure  and  brackish  ;  but 
it  was  an  offering  of  love,  and  as  such 
the  monarch  received  it  with  pleasure. 
"  Had  I  suffered  another  to  partake  of 
it,  he  would  not  have  concealed  his 
disgust,  and  the  heart  of  the  poor  man 
w^ould  have  been  wounded." 

We  are  often  reminded  of  this  Arab 
when  we  see  sacrifices  made  for  Christ, 
which  seem  to  many  foolish  and  unnec- 
essary. If  the  sacrifice  is  made  in  the 
right  spirit,  we  are  sure  our  King  on 


Spirit  in  which  We  Serve.    149 

his  throne  will  be  no  less  considerate 
and  appreciative  than  was  the  earthly 
monarch. 

"And  for  the  real  love  that  was  in  it, 
He  will  value  this  poor  work  of  mine, 
And  because  it  was  unto  Him  only, 
WiU  crown  it  with  plaudit  divine ! ' 

"  Dear  child !  she  wanted  to  help  me, 
I  knew  'twas  the  best  she  could  do." 

"And  Jesus  said."  .  .  .  "She 
hath  done  what  she  could." 

"How  wonderfully  and  beautifully 
our  Lord  responds  to  our  poor  little 
attempts  to  serve  him." 

To  those  who  are  constrained  by 
God's  providence  to  live  isolated  or 
what  they  may  call  "  commonplace 
lives,"  we  say:  Cultivate  a  spirit  of 
holiness,  and  a  spirit"  of  prayer.  What 
the  busy  world  has  gained  through 
the  prayers  of  holy  men  in  retirement 
perhaps   we    shall   never   know.     But 


150         Servants  of  Christ. 

we  may  know  something  of  the  power 
wielded  in  a  home  by  a  calm,  peaceful 
soul,  clothed  in  "the  beauty  of  holi- 
ness." Your  home  may  be  very  hum- 
ble and  obscure ;  but  are  there  not 
some  immortal  beings  in  it  who  need 
your  ministrations  ? 

And  as  we   have   set  forth  Christ's 

three  years  of  activity  as  an  example 

to    Christian   workers,    so   we    remind 

^    you  of  his  thirty  years  in  the  obscurity 

of  Nazareth. 

"They  also  serve  who  only  stand 
and  wait,"  provided  they  wait  patient- 
ly, prayerfully,  and  in  strong  faith. 

Do  3^ou  not  know  that  the  life  speaks 
louder  than  the  lips  ? 

Paul  at  Athens  finally  directed  jthe 
attention  of  his  whole  audience  to 
Christ,  though  His  name  was  not  once 
mentioned  in  the  whole  speech.  So 
though  your  lips  may  be  dumb,  and 


Spirit  in  which  We  Serye.    151 

your  hands  paralyzed,  your  life  may 
direct  the  attention  of  many  to  Him 
who  is  the  source  of  your  strength. 

Yes,  without  hesitation  we  say  that 
the  best  way  to  serve  Christ  is  to  be 
like  him. 

We  can  not  and  would  not  if  we 
could  measure  the  service  of  any  dis- 
ciple :  the  measure  is  in  the  Master's 
hands :  neither  may  we  test  the  qual- 
ity of  that  service.  God  forbid  that 
we  should  "bind  heavy  burdens,  and 
grievous  to  be  borne,  and  lay  them  on 
men's  shoulders,"  when  the  Lord  who 
loves  them  has  not  laid  them  there. 
All  we  ask  is :  "  What  spirit  or  motive 
governs  your  life  ? " 

For  you  know  "we  are  debtors  not 
to  the  flesh,  to  live  after  the  flesh," 
but  debtors  to  Christ,  who  died  for 
all,  "that  they  which  live  should  not 
henceforth  live    unto    themselves,   but 


152         Servants  of  Christ. 

unto  Him  which  died  for  them,  and  rose 
again."  "  We  then,  as  workers  together 
with  him,  beseech  you  also  that  ye  re- 
ceive not  the  grace  of  God  in  vain." 
Are  you  ministering  in  his  name, 
and  in  his  spirit?  Remember  all  are 
not  called  to  the  same  service.  "To 
every  man  his  work,"  not  your  work. 
The  appointments  are  in  the  Master's 
hand,  and  "  according  to  his  ability"  is 
his  rule.  He  does  not  call  all  to  Paul's 
place,  though  he  calls  all  to  imitate  his 
spirit.  "And  he  gave  some,  apostles; 
and  some,  prophets ;  and  some,  evan- 
gelists ;  and  some,  pastors  and  teach- 
ers." Or  to  change  the  language,  there 
is  Paul,  establishing,  strengthening  and 
confirming  churches  in  the  once  dark 
places  of  the  earth;  and  here  is  John 
tlie  beloved,  alone  and  apparently  un- 
employed on  a  desert  island  of  the  sea. 
There  is  Peter,   and   here    Barnabas ; 


Spirit  in  which  We  Serve.    153 

there  Guthrie,  and  here  Chalmers. 
There  busy  women  whose  names  pass 
from  lip  to  lip  ;  here  women  who  sit 
solitary,  with  bowed  heads  and  folded 
hands,  whose  names  find  no  echo  on 
earth.  There  is  Charlotte  Elliot  in 
her  darkened  chamber  of  suffering, 
and  here  is  one  by  name  unknown, 
stretched  on  a  bed  of  pain,  from  which 
she  shall  never  be  lifted  until  carried 
out  for  burial. 

And  the  work  of  each  may  be  the 
same:  "for  the  perfecting  of  the  saints," 
"for  the  edifying  of  the  body  of  Christ." 
"Every  man  shall  give  as  he  is  able." 

Paul,  the  unwearied  worker,  and 
John,  the  peerless  among  lovers,  and 
Peter  the  bold  speaker,  and  Chalmers 
and  Guthrie,  eloquent  pleaders  with 
dying  men,  and  Charlotte  Elliot,  whose 
hymn  from  the  darkened  chamber  shall 
help    seeking    sinners    evermore,    and 


154         Servants  of   Christ. 

Helen  Chalmers,  with  her  gems  from 
the  lanes  and  byways;  these,  with  a 
mighty  multitude  of  kindred  souls  from 
all  ages  and  climes  will  rejoice  together 
when  the  top-stone  is  laid  and  the  com- 
pleted work  praises  the  Master. 

Art  thou  "  called  to  be  an  apostle?" 
Do  well  the  apostle's  work.  "Art  thou 
called  being  a  servant?  care  not  for 
it."  Only  "walk  worthy  of  the  voca- 
tion wherewith  ye  are  called : "  and 
remember  that  in  any  lawful  calling 
you  may  serve  Christ.  All  are  not 
called,  like  Pres.  Finney,  to  abandon 
their  professions,  but  all  are  called  to 
glorify  God  in  them. 

We  are  told  in  regard  to  entering 
Mr.  Talmage's  College  in  Brooklyn, 
where  laymen  are  trained  for  intelli- 
gent Christian  work;  "No  qualification 
is  necessary  for  entrance  save  a  conse- 
crated heart." 


Spirit  in  which  We  Serve.    155 

We  frequently  hear  the  queer  ex- 
pression;  "Don't  put  yourself  out." 
Our  advice  is:  ^' Do  put  yourself  out, 
and  let  Christ  come  in."  The  candle 
may  well  be  put  out  if  the  noonday 
sun  is  shining.  Let  self  be  forgotten 
as  far  as  it  is  possible. 

"Come  then,  0  my  soul,  and  let  me 
consecrate  myself  anew  to  my  beloved 
Jesus.  Jesus,  Master,  my  Master,  my 
great  Master,  come  and  take  me,  here 
and  now,  and  make  me  all  thine  own." 

"Saviour,  come  in,  cleanse  me  from  sin; 
Jesus,  my  Saviour,  come  in,  come  in! 
Enter  tlie  door,  waiting  no  more; 
Saviour,  dear  Saviour,  come  in." 

"  Then  they  willingly  received  him 

into    the  ship,    and    immediately   the 

ship   was  at    the    land   whither    they 
went." 


XI. 


REWAED    OF    WORK. 


♦•Small  gifts  of  self-denial, 

These  lowly  widow-mites, 
In  the  book  of  God's  remembrance 

The  recording  angel  writes; 
It  is  lent  unto  the  Master, 

Who  has  promised  to  repay; 
And  the  bread  cast  on  the  water, 

Will  return  again  some  day." 

N  the  morning  sow  thy  seed,  and 
in  the  evening  withhold  not  thine 
hand ;  for  thou  knowest  not  whether 
shall  prosper,  either  this  or  that,  or 
whether  they  both  shall  be  alike  good." 
"And  whatsoever  is  right,  I^  will 
give  you." 


Reward  of  Work.  157 

Scarcely  can  we  take  up  a  religious 
paper  without  noticing  how  God  ac- 
complishes great  things  through  feeble 
instrumentalities.  One  French  soldier 
coming  to  his  village  home,  after  the 
last  Franco-German  war,  brought  with 
him  a  Testament.  No  one  in  the  place 
had  ever  before  seen  God's  word.  The 
soldier  did  not  hide  his  treasure,  but 
holding  it  up  before  them  all,  besought 
them  to  send  for  copies  of  the  precious 
word.  They  did  so :  and  now  the 
whole  place  is  changed. 

"I  will  cause  them  to  know  my 
might.'^ 

Some  laborers  have  the  joy  of  see- 
ing a  speedy  and  abundant  harvest  fol- 
low the  seed-sowing.  Rev.  Wm.  An- 
derson of  the  U.  P.  Mission  in  Duke 
Town,  West  Africa,  after  twenty-five 
years  of  labor  sees  a  neat  church,  a 
congregation    gathered,    and    Sabbath 


158         Servants   of   Christ. 

established  by  law:  where  once  he  wit- 
nessed heathen  rites  and  human  sacri- 
fices. Abundant  harvest  follows  his 
seed-sowing. 

A  young  man  returning  to  Oroo- 
miah,  Persia,  from  Russia,  where  he 
has  received  instruction  from  a  Chris- 
tian, reads  the  New  Testament  and 
proclaims  his  views  to  his  friends  and 
relatives.  Twenty-five  families  with- 
draw from  the  synagogue,  and  solicit 
and  obtain  Christian  instruction  ;  meet- 
ings are  established ;  converts  multi- 
ply. The  harvest  is  both  speedy  and 
abundant. 

While  in  Geneva  Mr.  Sankey  heard 
eight  of  his  songs  reproduced  by  the 
famous  music-boxes  of  that  ingenious 
city :  and  he  brought  home  one,  that 
his  friends  might  be  entertained  by 
echoes  of  the  great  revival  from  the 
foot  of  the  Alps. 


Reward  of  Work.  159 

Certainly  it  was  pleasant  for  the 
evangelist  so  soon  to  hear  the  echoes 
of  his  revival  melodies:  for  while  "it 
is  good  that  a  man  should  both  hope 
and  quietly  wait  for  the  salvation  of 
the  Lord,"  after  sowing  Gospel  seed, 
it  is  unspeakably  joyful  to  see  the 
quick  upsprhiging  of  the  tender  blade, 
and  hear  the  bursting  of  the  buds  of 
promise. 

A  missionary  travelling  in  Mada- 
gascar came  unexpectedly  on  a  town 
where  the  people  professed  to  be  Chris- 
tians, although  surrounded  by  heathen 
tribes.  He  inquired  how  it  happened, 
and  learned  that  one  of  their  number 
had  been  sent  for  treatment  to  a  dis- 
tant mission  hospital,  where  he  learned 
to  read  the  Bible,  and  he  carried  home 
the  precious  truths  of  the  Gospel.  He 
soon  persuaded  his  friends  and  neigh- 
bors to  build  him  a  chapel,  and  he  in 


160         Servants  of  Christ. 

time  became  the  pastor  of  a  Christian 
congregation. 

Hear  the  results  of  an  Indian  wom- 
an's work. 

She  was  a  chieftess  who  came  to  hve 
in  Victoria,  British  Columbia. 

Her  people  lived  six  hundred  miles 
away.  For  seven  years  she  attended 
regularly  the  Episcopal  Church,  all  the 
time  anxious  about  her  soul ;  but  no 
one  ever  invited  her  to  come  to  Jesus. 
One  day  in  passing  an  Indian  Sabbath 
school  she  saw  through  the  open  door 
children  at  their  lessons,  and  she  asked 
a  child  at  the  door  if  she  might  come 
in.  She  entered :  and  there  heard 
"the  old,  old  story"  of  a  crucified  Sa- 
viour. It  was  good  news  to  her :  her 
heart  was  touched,  and  soon  she  learned 
to  love  and  trust  Jesus. 

Now  she  longed  for  the  salvation 
of  her  friends:  uor  did  she  waste  her 


Reward  of  Work.  161 

time  in  longings.  She  went  to  work, 
and  brought  them  in  by  scores :  and 
many  of  them  learned  to  love  and  trust 
Jesus. 

Her  son  was  hundreds  of  miles  away; 
too  far  for  her  to  go  to  him :  but  the 
distance  that  lay  between  them  seemed 
not  so  great  as  the  distance  that  seemed 
to  lie  between  his  nature  and  the  di- 
vine :  for  he  was  a  blood-thirsty  can- 
nibal !  His  mother  had  not  seen  him 
for  years ;  and  had  long  ago  lost  all  in- 
fluence over  him.  But  she  knew  now 
the  power  of  prayer,  and  on  her  knees 
she  spent  whole  nights  praying  the 
Lord  to  bring  her  son  to  this  Sunday 
school.  What  was  the  result?  Moved 
by  a  power  he  understood  not,  this 
cannibal  took  his  wife  and  uncle  and 
started  in  his  little  canoe,  on  a  journey 
of  six  hundred  miles. 

As  soon  as  his  mother  saw  him  she 
11 


162         Servants  of  Christ. 

began  to  talk  to  him  of  Jesus,  she  led 
hhn  into  the  Sunday  school  where  at 
first  he  was  displeased;  bat  her  faith 
failed  not.  He  went  again,  and  heard 
Amos,  the  degraded,  flat-headed  Indian 
pray.  He  trembled  with  astonishment. 
His  mother,  who  can  not  read,  begged 
him  to  read  to  her  the  fourteenth  chap- 
ter of  John.  He  did  so;  and  his  heart 
melted,  and  as  she  explained  to  him 
the  way  of  salvation,  the  cannibal  came 
into  the  open  arms  of  Christ. 

He  then  begged  for  some  one  to  go 
back  with  him  to  his  tribe.  As  soon 
as  a  missionary  was  promised  him,  he 
started  back  to  tell  his  people  of  the 
sufferings  of  Christ  on  the  cross  for 
them.  He  led  about  five  hundred  of 
those  wild  cannibals  to  the  foot  of  the 
cross.  When  the  missionary  (Mr.  Pol- 
lard) some  time  after  went  among  them, 
they  met  him  twelve  miles  below  the 


Reward  of  Work.  16 


o 


landing,  and  took  him  off  the  steam- 
boat on  board  their  war  canoe;  and  it 
was  hours  before  he  was  through  shak- 
ing hands  with  them,  for  every  one  of 
them  insisted  upon  shaking  his  hand. 

This  was  more  than  two  years  ago. 
The  good  work  goes  on,  and  many  are 
turning  to  the  Lord.  As  soon  as  these 
heathen  are  converted  they  bring  their 
idols  to  Mr.  Pollard. 

"Thy  people  shall  be  willing  in  the 
day  of  thy  power." 

Hear  some  of  the  results  of  another 
woman's  work. 

Mrs.  Bartlett,  who  has  now  entered 
into  rest,  was  called  seventeen  years 
ago  to  teach  three  3^oung  women  in 
Rev.  C.  H.  Spurgeon's  Sabbath  school. 
She  shrank  even  from  this  humble, 
quiet  work,  and  finally,  after  many 
misgivings,  consented  to  try  it  for  a 
month.     At  the  end  of  that  time  she 


1 

164         Servants  of  Christ. 

was  persuaded  to  be  a  permanent  teach- 
er, and  she  consented  in  expressed  reli- 
ance on  God's  sustaining  grace. 

From  three  her  class  grew  until  the 
average  attendance  was  from  six  to 
seven  hundred.  Nearly  one  thousand 
instructed  by  her  united  with  Mr.  Spur- 
geon's  church,  while  many  are  scattered 
in  different  churches. 

"Yet  Mrs.  Bartlett  was  neither  a 
profound  scholar  nor  a  woman  of  re- 
markable ability  in  any  one  direction. 
She  was  simply  a  consecrated  worker, 
doing  faithfully  that  to  which  God  called 
her,  in  implicit  trust  on  his  promises.'' 

Such  results  are  gratifying  and  en- 
couraging ;  but  they  are  not  given  to 
all.  Why  not?  We  can  not  tell.  We 
have  sometimes  thought  the  greatness 
of  our  spiritual  pride  was  the  cause 
of  the  apparent  failure  of  our  work. 
If  our  work  was  established  as  we  de- 


Reward  of  Work.  165 

sire,  we  might  look  upon  it  with  a 
feehng  akin  to  one  of  old  who  said : 
"Is  not  this  great  Babylon  that  I  have 
built?" 

"But,"  you  reason,  "it  is  God's 
work,  and  we  are  doing  it  for  his  hon- 
or and  glory."  It  may  be  so  :  and  yet 
why  question  his  dealings  ?  His  way 
is  always  best ;  his  children  find  it  so. 
"Go  w^ork  in  ni}^  vineyard,"  is  his 
command.  Leave  all  the  rest  with 
him.  The  delay  in  blessing  may  be 
designed  to  lead  to  greater  faith  and 
earnestness.  It  may  also  lead  you  to 
inquire  if  you  are  laboring  in  the  right 
place.  "  Ponder  the  path  of  thy  feet," 
and  pray :  "  Lead  me  in  a  plain  path." 

Try  to  find  out  the  place  and  the 
work  for  which  you  are  best  fitted. 
"Know  thyself."  With  all  earnestness 
and  sincerity  you  may  be  toiling  all 
the    night,    and   taking   nothing;    and 


166         Servants  of  Christ. 

those  around  you  may  see  that  of 
which  they  can  not  speak.  Admir- 
ing your  faithfuhiess  and  self-sacrifice 
they  have  not  the  heart  to  tell  you 
that  you  are  the  wrong  man  for  the 
place  you  are  trying  to  fill. 

After  Benhadad  the  Syrian  king  had 
sustained  a  serious  defeat  his  servants 
offered  him  this  advice  in  regard  to 
the  reorganizing  of  his  army:  ''Take 
the  kings  away,  every  man  out  of  his 
place,  and  put  captains  in  their  room." 
Certainly  the  advice  was  judicious  ; 
though  nothing  could  save  an  army 
appointed  by  the  Lord  for  destruc- 
tion. 

Are  you  willing  even  to  be  sup- 
planted in  order  that  the  Lord's  work 
may  prosper?  It  is  a  hard  thing  I 
know  to  stand  aside  and  see  another 
succeeding  where  you  have  failed.  Not 
every  one  can  say  with  quiet  content : 


Reward  of  Work.  167 

"  He  must  increase,  but  I  must  decrease." 
Yet  if  the  kings  lose  the  battle,  try  the 
captains :  for  the  work  of  the  Lord 
must  not  cease. 

"Perhaps  I  am  the  wrong  man  here," 
tearfully  said  a  minister  of  Christ  to  me. 
' '  To  give  up  this  little  church  would  be 
like  leaving  the  little  baby  you  nour- 
ished and  tended,"  added  the  devoted 
wife.  And  then  the  husband  bravely 
said:    "  If  I  leave   here   I   will  go  to 

; "  mentioning  a  still  harder  field 

of  labor. 

God  increase  the  number  of  such 
Christians  !  It  is  our  joy  and  strength 
to  number  such  among  our  friends. 

"Why  do  you  work  beyond  your 
strength  ?  Don't  you  know  your  will- 
ingness  to  do  will  bring  you  as  rich  a 
reward  as  the  services  you  are  scarce- 
ly strong  enough  to  perform  ?  "  There 
was  a  visible  shrinking  on  the  part  of 


168         Servants  of  Christ. 

the  Christian  addressed,  as  the  low  an- 
swer came:  "I  was  not  thinking  of  the 
reward.'' 

A  noble  ship  was  bearing  down  on 
the  English  coast  under  a  stiff  breeze 
and  a  lowering  sky.  It  was  not  many 
hours  before  she  was  in  the  teeth  of  a 
violent  storm,  rolling  and  plunging  in 
the  angry  waters.  The  wind  shrieked 
through  her  cordage,  and  her  huge 
timbers  groaned  from  stem  to  stern. 
She  struck  at  last,  and  became  unman- 
ageable, and  hoisted  signals  of  distress. 
A  crew  of  brave  and  hardy  men  from 
the  shore  put  out  to  rescue  her  living 
freight. 

Among  those  on  board  was  a  ne- 
gro with  two  orphan  children  under 
his  charge.  The  boat  was  soon  filled 
with  the  terror-stricken  passengers,  and 
til  ere  was  room  for  but  one  more — room 
for  the  negro,  or  the  two  little  children. 


Reward  of  Work.  169 

"Who  should  be  saved  ?  who  be  left  to 
perish?  The  faithful  negro  did  not 
hesitate.  Over  the  ship's  side  he  low- 
ered the  helpless  children  into  the  life- 
boat, only  calling  out :  **  Tell  Massa, 
Cuffie  did  his  dutv." 

"So  likewise  ye,  when  ye  shall  have 
done  all  those  things  which  are  com- 
manded you,  say.  We  are  unprofita- 
ble servants:  we  have  done  that  which 
was  our  duty  to  do." 

Nevertheless  the  Master  holds  out 
rewards  to  us,  and  permits  us  to  antic- 
ipate them. 

A  little  child  read  aloud  the  illu- 
minated motto  hanging  on  our  wall : 
**  God's  work  pays  sure  wages."  "How 
does  he  pay  us?"  we  inquired.  "Oh! 
he  gives  us  heaven  ! "  she  answered  as 
she  skipped  around  the  room.  "Yes, 
but  how  does  he  pay  us  now?'''  we 
asked.     And  the  simple,  beautiful  an- 


170         Servants  of  Christ. 

swer  came  quickly:  "Oh  he  pays  us  in 
love  ever}^  day." 

"My  niece  and  I  waded  to  church 
last  winter  through  snow-drifts  up  to 
our  waists,  carrying  by  turns  our  little 
boy;"  said  a  minister's  wife  to  me. 
"And  we  never  took  cold.  We  sat  in 
our  wet  clothes  through  service,  and 
dried  them  when  we  came  home."  "I 
should  think  under  such  circumstances 
you  would  have  but  one  service,"  I  re- 
marked. "Oh  no,"  she  answered:  "we 
want  to  occupy  the  whole  day  so  that 
none  can  have  an  excuse  for  staying 
awa}^" 

Truly  concerning  such  we  can  say: 
"The  Lord  shall  preserve  thy  going 
out  and  thy  coming  in  from  this  time 
forth,  and  even  for  evermore." 

"Love  every  day"  is  a  sweet  pay- 
ment: and  "he  shall  give  his  angels 
charge  over  thee,  to  keep  thee  in  all 


Reward  of  Work.  171 

thy  ways"  is  a  comforting  promise  to 
those  whose  path  of  duty  leads  through 
great  peril.  But  listen  to  this  prom- 
ise:  "He  that  goeth  forth  and  weep- 
eth.  bearing  precious  seed,  shall  doubt- 
less come  again  with  rejoicing,  bringing 
his  sheaves  with  him." 

To  see  on  earth  the  results  of  our 
labor  is  inexpressibly  delightful :  for 
"the  desire  accomplished  is  sweet  to 
the  soul." 

In  Dr.  Guggenhuhl's  institution  for 
the  cure  of  cretins  a  series  of  strange 
pictures  hang  on  the  walls.  The  pic- 
ture of  each  unfortunate  child  is  taken 
upon  entering  the  institution  ;  and  af- 
ter 3^ears  of  care  and  instruction  the 
picture  is  again  taken.  What  a  com- 
fort it  must  be  to  the  patient  teachers 
to  look  first  on  one  then  on  the  other 
picture,  and  feel  that  under  Grod  they 
have  wrought  this  great  result. 


172         Servants  of  Christ. 

"  I  was  present  at  a  graduation  cere- 
monial in  the  University  of  Edinburgh," 
writes  Dr.  Guthrie,  "when  there  came 
forward  to  be  '  capped '  (that  is,  to 
receive  the  degree),  ministers  as  doc- 
tors of  divinity,  lawj^ers  and  httera- 
tem's  as  doctors  of  law,  others  still  as 
doctors  of  medicine,  and  lastly  a  num- 
ber of  fine-looking  young  men  as  mas- 
ters of  arts.  Who  was  there,  think 
you?  I  never  was  so  affected  all  my 
days.  It  took  me  by  surprise,  and,  I 
am  not  ashamed  to  confess  it,  it  brought 
tears  to  my  eyes,  for  I  saw  among  those 
'capped'  that  day,  as  master  of  arts, 
a  youth  who  had  been  one  of  my  Ragged- 
school  hoysy 

One  of  the  happiest  evenings  of  an 
miusually  happy  life  was  spent  by  him 
in  giving  a  reception  to  his  former 
pupils:  "Sober,  well-to-do-like  young 
men  and  women,"  once  Ragged-school 


Reward  of  Work.  173 

boys  and  girls.  "It  was  a  marvellous 
sight !  "  wrote  this  noble-hearted  ser- 
vant of  Christ.  I  was  ready  to  ask, 
''Are  these  my  Ragged^-school  chil- 
dren ?  '  The  Lord  hath  done  great 
things  for  us  whereof  we  are  glad.'  " 

"We  lingered  over  the  scene.  It 
was  a  sio'ht  worth  livino;  for.  It  was 
our  Harvest  Home.  Our  joy  was  ac- 
cording to  the  joy  of  harvest,  and 
as  men  rejoice  when  they  divide  the 
spoil." 

And  we  think  his  glad  spirit  must 
have  lingered  near,  when  over  his  open 
grave  two  hundred  and  thirty  pupils 
from  the  Ragged  Schools  sang: 

"There  is  a  jiappy  land,  far,  far  away." 

If  the  shepherd  at  Ephesus  received 
the  name  of  Evangelist  (giver  of  glad 
tidings),  and  also  divine  honors,  for 
revealing  to  his  fellow-citizens  his  dis- 


174        Servants  of  Christ. 

CO  very  of  marble,  what  honors,  think 
you,  shall  be  paid  to  one  who  wielding 
the  hammer  of  God's  word  with  the 
strong  arm  of  faith,  breaks  through 
the  thick  crust  of  ignorance  and  vice, 
and  discloses  "man  made  in  the  image 
of  God  ? " 

The  apparent  results  of  our  work 
form  part  of  the  present  reward,  but 
what  shall  the  future  be?  "What 
shall  be  doue  unto  the  man  whom  the 
king  delighteth  to  honor  ?  *' 

In  Belgium,  we  are  told,  instead 
of  trusting  to  private  benevolence  or 
private  societies,  to  reward  acts  of 
courage,  devotion  and  humanit}^  the 
state  undertakes  the  pleasant  duty,  and 
makes  the  distribution  of  medals  an 
interesting  ceremony  to  add  to  the 
pomps  of  a  fete  day.  The  honors  are 
bestowed  in  the  presence  of  a  great 
assembly,   in  the  Temple  des  Angus- 


Reward  of  Work.  175 

tines,  in  Brussels.  The  minister  of  the 
Interior  presides,  and  the  yojbI  fam- 
ily by  their  presence  add  to  the  im- 
posing spectacle  :  while  officers  of  rank, 
in  uniform,  fill  the  high  seats  beside 
the  platform.  One  who  once  wit- 
nessed it  gives  us  a  brief  account. 

The  first  to  receive  a  large  gold 
medal  was  a  boy  twelve  yeai's  of  age. 
Trying  to  save  his  little  sister  from 
a  horrible  death,  he  was  so  severely 
burned  that  his  scars  will  be  the  life- 
long memorial  of  his  bravery.  As  he 
received  the  golden  medal  surmounted 
with  the  royal  crown  the  applause 
of  the  assembled  multitude  testified 
their  high  appreciation  of  his  act  of 
heroism. 

Others  followed  to  receive  their  re- 
ward. One  boy  had  rescued  a  child 
from  drowning.  A  nun  had  saved  an 
infant    from    a    burning    house.     But 


176         Servants  of  Christ. 

"  the  time  would  fail  me  to  tell  of" 
all.  We  would  like  to  have  been  pres- 
ent at  that  beautifully  suggestive  cere- 
mony. We  hope  to  share  in  one  of 
which  this  is  but  a  faint  image. 

Unwilling  to  trust  the  rewards  to 
other  hands  our  Master  himself  pre- 
sents our  rewards.  Sometimes  I  think 
we  will  be  almost  ashamed  to  receive 
them.  Looking  back  over  our  past 
lives  it  seems  to  me  we  w^ill  be  over- 
whelmed with  the  smallness  of  our  ser- 
vices when  we  fully  realize  what  Christ 
has  done  for  us. 

*•  When  I  stand  before  the  throne, 
Clothed  in  beauty  not  my  own; 

When  I  see  thee  as  thou  art, 
Love  thee  with  unchanging  heart; 

Then  Lord  shall  I  fully  know 
Not  till  then  how  much  I  owe." 

Our  Master  presents  our  rewards ; 
and   he    himself   is   our    reward.     Oh 


Reward  of  Work.  177 

what  is  our  crown  compared  with  our 
Christ ! 

A  sister  once  waited  anxiously  the  re- 
turn of  a  dear  brother,  after  a  long  sepa- 
ration. They  met :  hand  clasped  hand, 
and  tearful  eyes  exchanged  glances  full 
of  affection.  After  the  first  embrace 
the  brother  placed  in  his  sister's  hand 
a  gift  brought  from  afar.  Acting  upon 
a  sudden  impulse  she  thrust  it  from 
her,  saying:  "Take  it  away;  I  do  not 
want  it.     I  have  you ! " 

Perhaps  we  will  have  something  of 
this  feeling  when  Jesus  offers  us  the 
» crown. 

''And  what  shall  I  more  say?"  0 
blood-bought  and  redeemed  disciple, 
consider  the  necessity,  the  beauty  and 
the  reasonableness  of  the  service  re- 
quired. Have  "respect  unto  the  rec- 
ompense of  the  reward "  ;  the  reward 
present  and  future :  and  let  this  ser- 


178         Servants  of  Christ. 

vice,  from  this  time  forth,  be  your 
delight. 

"Servants  of  Christ!"  The  subject 
grows  upon  us.  The  honor  seems 
greater  while  we  meditate  upon  it. 
But  what  means  this  word  of  our  Lord: 
"I  have  called  you  friends!" 

To  be  his  servant  was  a  greater  dig- 
nity than  we  thought  ourselves  worthy 
to  bear:  but  as  though  this  was  a  small 
thing  in  his  sight  he  spake  these  won- 
derful words:  "Ye  are  my  friends,  if 
ye  do  whatsoever  T  command  you." 

"Mary!  She  turned  herself  and 
said  unto  him,  Rabboni."  "Speak 
Lord;  for  thy  servant  heareth."  "Not 
now  as  a  servant,  but  above  a  servant," 
I  am  ready  to  do  thy  bidding,  for  the 
thought  of  this  intimate  friendship 
inspires  me  with  fresh  energy  and 
courage. 

"He  does  not  want  to  make  slaves 


Reward  of  Work.  179 

of  us,  but  dear  children,  entering  into 
his  plans,  cheerfully  accepting  what 
each  hour  brings." 

Lord,  if  thou  art  willing  to  receive 
me  as  a  co-laborer,  I,  by  the  help  of 
thy  grace,  accept  thy  service. 

♦'Now  I  resolve  with  all  my  heart, 

With  all  my  powers  to  serve  the  Lord; 
Nor  from  his  ways  will  I  depart, 
Whose  service  is  a  rich  reward. 

•*0,  be  this  service  all  my  joy! 
Around  let  my  example  shine; 
Till  others  love  the  blest  employ, 
And  join  in  labors  so  divine. 

"Be  this  the  purpose  of  my  soul, 

My  solemn,  my  determined  choice, 
To  yield  to  his  supreme  control, 
And  in  his  kind  commands  rejoice. 

"0  may  I  never  faint  nor  tire. 

Nor  wandering,  leave  his  sacred  ways; 
Great  God  !  accept  my  soul's  desire. 
And  give  me  strength  to  live  thy  praise." 

"Be  thou  faithful  unto  death,  and  I 
will  give  thee  a  crown  of  life." 


180         Servants  of  Christ. 

"Now  unto  the  King  Eternal,  im- 
mortal, invisible,  the  only  wise  God, 
be  honor  and  glory,  forever  and  ever. 
Amen.'^ 


nmiuS  JuflU^"  S«>n-nary. 


Library 


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fiP  ' 


